Rise of the Moon
by Brightfire15
Summary: Sequel to Darkness of the Moon. In the grand finale, Artemis's wedding plans are put on hold when Derek is kidnapped by Kate Argent, who returns as a vengeful werejaguar. To further complicate matters, a hit list is ordered on the supernaturals in town and Artemis's young cousin, Liam, unexpectedly becomes part of Artemis's double life. Can the pack survive the danger coming? R&R!
1. The Dark Moon

**Rise of the Moon**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own** _ **Teen Wolf**_

 **The Dark Moon**

Her name was Artemis Moon.

Her life had once been a simple one, filled with the ordinaries of a regular teenager's life. But her life was anything but normal now. On the eve of her junior year of high school, Artemis Moon was bitten by an Alpha werewolf and became a lycanthrope. In the time that followed, Artemis struggled to control her inner beast with the help of her childhood friend and fellow lycanthrope, Derek Hale, while trying to find a cure for her curse. During that time, they learned the Alpha's identity and why he was killing people—he was Derek's uncle and taking revenge on those who'd slaughtered his family in the infamous Hale Fire, but not before he killed Derek's sister, Laura, to become an Alpha wolf.

Against Derek's wishes, Artemis befriended the youngest in a long line of werewolf hunters, Alison Argent. While trying to balance her new double-life, Artemis had sought a cure for her lycanthropy (which was rumored to be killing the Alpha that bit you) and also had to deal with her growing feelings for Derek and discover how she was suddenly able to feel his emotions and see into his memories. Later it was revealed that Alison's Aunt Kate had been the one to disregard the hunters' code and commit genocide. Kate had been killed by Peter in a final act of revenge as a result and Alison was brought into the supernatural world.

However, when the time came for Artemis to get the cure she sought, she refused it as no one knew for sure if Artemis killing her sire would remove her lycanthropy and Artemis feared it would just make her like Peter. So, Derek killed Peter to keep him out of their lives and to help Artemis better. Following that, Derek revealed that the link he and Artemis shared meant they were true mates, as werewolves only truly love one person once in their lifetimes. They professed their love for one another and chose to face the world together as werewolves.

For a brief time, there had been peace in Beacon Hills among the werewolves and the hunters, but then that peace was shattered.

In an effort to increase their strength, Derek had turned three of Artemis's classmates, Erica, Isaac and Boyd, into werewolves. They'd joined the pack out of their own free will and enjoyed being part of it as now they were stronger and even better, they'd all gained close friends and a family.

Artemis and Alison had been forced to end their friendship publicly as Alison's mother, Victoria, had threatened to kill Artemis with a gun full of wolfsbane bullets, if she came near Alison again. Chris had no problem with his daughter's friendship as Artemis had yet to do anything to get herself hunted, (at least in his opinion as he followed the hunter's code) but Alison and Artemis had agreed to fake the ending of their friendship and were secretly continuing it behind Victoria's back as they refused to let anything stand in the way of their friendship.

The situation worsened when Alison's grandfather, Gerard, came to Beacon Hills and declared war between the hunters and werewolves out of a desire for revenge for Kate's death. Things worsened further when Jackson, who'd found a vial of Peter's werewolf venom in his locker and used it to turn himself into a werewolf. The plan backfired as Jackson had some problems in his past that resulted in him turning into a kanima, a creature sworn to take vengeance on murderers on behalf of its master.

While trying to stop Jackson and learn his master's identity, Derek and Lydia were the victims of Peter's backup plan. When Peter had bitten Lydia, he knew the bite wouldn't kill or turn her because she was immune. For weeks, he tormented Lydia from beyond the grave until she finally gave into his demands and used Derek to resurrect Peter. He was just a weakened Beta wolf now, but no one trusted him and he was kept on short leash.

Jackson's master was eventually revealed to be Matt, a boy from Artemis's school with a heavy grudge against those that that had wronged him and an obsession over both Artemis and Alison. Matt was eventually stopped, but Gerard became the kanima's master and tried to use him as a way of controlling Artemis. It was revealed that Gerard had terminal cancer and sought to become an Alpha wolf in order to cure himself and grant himself power. But Artemis tricked him into taking werewolf venom laced with mountain ash, which stopped him for good.

With the combined efforts of Lydia, Derek and Peter, Jackson was freed of the kanima's curse and became a blue-eyed Beta wolf. The war between werewolves and hunters ended and things became somewhat quiet. But as expected, the peace in Artemis's life didn't last long. Trouble came in the form of an Alpha pack led by Deucalion, a.k.a. the Demon Wolf, who sought to either have Artemis join his pack or kill her if she didn't as she was the True Alpha, a very rare type of werewolf who could ascend from Beta to Alpha by goodness of heart and sheer force of will rather than conquest or death.

Artemis had been shocked to learn that her older sister Kali, who was believed to be dead, was alive. She was devastated to learn that Kali was also an Alpha and part of Deucalion's Alpha pack. The two fought on opposite sides of the battlefield until Kali learned of Deucalion's plans for Artemis, which caused her to defect and the sisters to reconcile to the point where Kali sacrificed her status as an Alpha in order to save Derek's life from mistletoe poisoning.

Despite his plans for Artemis and her disdain for him, Artemis joined forces with Deucalion in order to defeat the Darach, Jennifer Blake, Kali's former druidic emissary who'd sought vengeance on Kali and the Alpha pack by sacrificing innocent lives in order to acquire power. The night of the lunar eclipse, the Darach was finally defeated; Artemis completed her ascension from Beta to Alpha and Deucalion left Beacon Hills, being the only Alpha left of his Alpha pack, but victory did not come without cost. Tragically, during the fight against the Darach, Kali sacrificed herself to save her sister's life, leaving Artemis devastated.

During the months that followed, Artemis faced a difficult period. When she wasn't suffering from nightmares or adjusting to her new True Alpha status, she was grieving for her sister and dealing with the unwanted presence of her father, FBI agent Rafael Moon, with whom she was estranged. New additions were also made to the pack in the form of Malia, a werecoyote who became Stiles' girlfriend, and Kira, a thunder kitsune. To further complicate matters, Artemis was confronted by Kali's ghost, who delivered Artemis a cryptic prophecy. _What happened at the Nemeton the night I died, will cause history to repeat itself and only you can keep it from ending the same way. Don't give up on your friend even when others do. The fox and the wolf, though normally enemies, must become allies if there's to be victory. And be warned, someday soon, an enemy you thought was gone will return in a way you will never expect._ And it was not long before Kali's prophecy came true.

Stiles became possessed by a Nogitsune, dark energy manifesting itself as a dark fox spirit, which had broken free of its prison the night of the lunar eclipse. It wreaked horrible havoc upon the city of Beacon Hills. To make matters worse, Kira's mother was revealed to be the one who originally released the Nogitsune to claim vengeance on those who'd taken the man she loved from her and she had not only summoned an army of her own, the Oni, Noshikio had no qualms about who she killed in order to stop the Nogitsune, even if they were innocent. In the midst of it all, Artemis discovered that Rafael not only knew of the supernatural world but was also a former hunter who'd been turned into a lycanthrope before discovering a cure and he sought to make amends with his family, a leap of faith that Artemis was hesitant to make after all that had occurred between them.

Miraculously, Stiles was freed from the Nogitsune after much difficulty but the war was far from over when the Nogitsune not only gained a body of its own but also stole control of the Oni from Noshiko. In the battle that followed which involved not only the pack but also Kira, the Argents and Artemis's father who refused to leave Artemis to fight alone, Artemis sacrificed her life to save her father's life from the Oni. Though she slipped through the veil, Artemis's act of selfless love triggered the next phase of her ascension and she not only returned to life but she further evolved as True Alpha. Together, Artemis and Kira were able to destroy the Nogitsune forever.

Soon after, Derek proposed marriage to Artemis, which she eagerly accepted. But in the midst of their happiness, they forgot the last line of Kali's prophecy and in doing so, failed to notice a dark shadow falling until it was too late…

XXX

After parking her bike outside, Artemis raced to Derek's loft with all her speed.

Tonight was supposed to be a magical night where they took the pack out to dinner and announced their engagement, but after feeling the rush of adrenaline, shock, pain, fear and anger from her mate through their link, Artemis knew the engagement announcement was going to have to wait. Something terrible had happened, something big and Artemis could only pray that she would get to Derek's loft in time to help or prevent the worst from happening.

Artemis's prayers went unanswered when she saw the door to Derek's loft ajar, something that _never_ happened under Derek's watch. When she pushed it open further, her hand flew to her mouth and she found it difficult not to puke as she gazed at the horrific scene before.

"Oh, gads…"

Derek's loft was a crime scene. Blood, bullet casings, gas canisters and dead bodies Artemis didn't recognize littered the floor. The place reeked of anger, fear, and supernaturals. Worst of all, there was no sign of Derek anywhere.

Not one to waste time, Artemis quickly called the police and an ambulance before investigating the scene, hoping to pick up a trail or some clue as to what had caused all this. She didn't have to look long before she noticed one of the dead men had written two words on the floor in his own blood before dying. _La-loba_ and _Kate Argent._

"Kate Argent?" murmured Artemis, as her blood ran cold. "What? No…" Kate Argent? That was impossible. Artemis remembered the night of Kate's death all too well. Peter had plunged his claws into the murderess's throat before tearing it out in vengeance for the murders of the Hale pack. Artemis and Derek had both witnessed it and they'd heard the sound of Kate's breathing ceasing as well as her heartbeat coming to a dead halt. It was _impossible._

Or was it?

Artemis's mind raced back to the last line of Kali's prophecy. _And be warned, someday soon, an enemy you thought was gone will return in a way you will never expect._ Could this be what Kali was referring to? Had Kali been trying to warn Artemis that Kate _hadn't_ died that night and had instead been unlucky enough to be that one in a million to be turned not by a bite but by a scratch instead? There was only one way to find out for sure.

In the process of evolving further when she'd given her life for her father's, Artemis had gained a new set of abilities far beyond any other lycanthrope. One of which was the ability to not read recent scents and see their story unfold, almost like a film.

Artemis took a deep breath and her eyes changed from chocolate brown to a bright, searing red. She then watched as the dead men entered Derek's loft, looking both agitated and almost fearful before the room filled with gas. All but Derek were quickly slain while the Hale wolf fell to his knees from a wolfsbane bullet injury and then from the smoke emerged Kate as a werejaguar. Artemis then watched in horror as Kate proceeded to knock Derek out and then take him away to who knew where.

The ear-piercing wail of the sirens from the police car broke Artemis out of the images and she stepped back into the present. She couldn't believe what she'd just seen. Kate had not only survived that night, but she had also been turned and she'd kidnapped Derek. This was far from good.

XXX

After the bodies were collected, Artemis cancelled the restaurant reservations called an emergency pack meeting at Deaton's office. All attended except for Peter, who'd left town for a couple of days on "personal business." Meanwhile, everyone there was anxious and fearful as to what they were about to be told, for all Sheriff Stilinski had told them was that Derek's loft was a crime scene as Artemis wanted to be the one to tell them what she'd found out. Derek's clear absence from the emergency meeting only raised more red flags for alarm.

"Artemis, what's happened? Where's Derek?" asked Cora.

Artemis took a deep breath and shot a pitying look at Chris and Alison, as she knew this would be particularly difficult to hear.

"I don't know where Derek is," she confessed. Though she had tried, whatever Kate had drugged Derek with was strong enough to block even a True Alpha's link with her mate, something that also worried Artemis. "But I do know that he's been taken…by Kate. She's alive and she's been turned."

Everyone in Artemis's audience except for Malia, who knew next to nothing about Kate's history, suddenly looked quite shocked and horrified at this revelation and it suddenly became so quiet that one could hear the proverbial pin drop.

Malia was the first one to break the silence. "Anyone care to fill me in? Who's Kate?"

"Kate was… _is_ my younger sister," said Chris, slowly. It sounded as though it was difficult for Chris to acknowledge any relation to Kate, which was unsurprising given what she'd done. "She betrayed not only the code, but also our family and disgraced the hunter community. At one time, she was one of the best hunters of our family. But Kate had no regard for honor or for the code and in time, her thirst for the hunt grew insatiable. She caused the Hale Fire and slaughtered Derek's family despite knowing there were innocent lives, _human_ lives dying in there. Kate thought she'd gotten away with it, but Peter Hale knew it was her and in retaliation, he killed not only those who helped Kate with the fire, he killed Kate as well."

"Which means that this is impossible and it _can't_ be Kate who's done this," interjected Alison. "We _saw_ her die that night! Peter ripped her throat clean out. She didn't have a pulse or a heartbeat and we _buried_ her for crying out loud! Kate can't be alive! She just can't!"

Judging from Alison's tone, it was clear the Argent girl was trying to convince herself more than anyone that Kate's return from the grave wasn't true. And although Artemis wished there was truth in Alison's denials, she knew there wasn't.

"Alison, I know this is a shock and I wish things were different, but the truth is Kate is alive and she's back. I _saw_ her when I smelled the scents in the loft _and_ the dead man wrote Kate's name on the floor before he died," said Artemis, calmly, but firmly.

"Artemis is right, Alison," admitted Chris. He held up the bullet casing that Derek had brought to him after the twins had been attacked. It was engraved with a fleur-de-lis, Kate's favorite symbol and a small "k." "These bullets were custom-made by our best supplier and he kept every design close to his chest. After Derek brought me this, I did some checking. He confirmed that Kate not only recently reappeared in his shop, but she also made a large purchase of these bullets. I also had Kate's body exhumed and the coroner just confirmed that her casket's empty, has been for months. She's alive."

Alison looked horrified before her face became twisted with hurt and outrage. "Why didn't you say anything sooner? Kate is a danger to everyone here!"

In spite of his daughter's accusatory tone, Chris did not waver. "I had to confirm my suspicions. If there was any chance I was wrong, I didn't want to spread a panic."

Alison opened her mouth to argue more but a stern look from her father silenced her and instead she asked, "Where's she been all this time? Why come back now?"

"I think I can answer part of that," said Rafael, as he hung up his cell phone. He looked grim. "That was the coroners. They've identified the bodies as members of the Calavero family, one of the most dangerous hunters in our time. They usually reside in Mexico."

"Which begs the questions, what are they doing so far out of their territory?" asked Chris, as his eyes narrowed. "And what were they doing in Derek's loft?"

Hunters rarely left their territories

"Calavero," murmured Artemis. "Why do I know that name?" She thought it over for a few moments before it came to her. She then quickly loaded up her website where she sold handmade jewelry and checked her list of buyers. She turned pale at the name listed as her most frequent and best-paying customers.

"Oh gads," she murmured.

Stiles frowned at Artemis's tone. "What is it?"

"The Calavero family are my best customers," said Artemis. "They buy my jewelry all the time. In fact, after Kali died, they not only bought all my stock but they paid four times what I asked for _and_ they've been sending me little messages on birthdays and holidays. I could never explain why."

"Until now," said Chris. "I spoke with Araya not long ago. She said she owed Kali not only your protection but your pack's. She also said that Peter had put you in danger from the second one that he turned."

"Which confirms that none of this is a coincidence and it's more than likely that if the Calaveros were tracking Kate, they'll know what she's been up to all this time, where she might be hiding and where we might find Derek," said Isaac. "We've got to talk to them!"

"I agree, but we have to handle this carefully. Bargain or no bargain, I'm not going to risk the entire pack's safety on Araya's word," said Artemis, firmly.

"Nor should you," agreed Deaton. Having met the woman a handful of times before, Deaton knew just how dangerous Araya and her family members were. Their hunter tactics were brutal, if not horrific. "Araya may be a woman of her word, but that doesn't mean she's any less dangerous."

Artemis nodded in agreement and then a discussion of a plan followed. After over an hour of talk, they finally agreed on a course of action. Using Araya's contact information from Artemis's website, Artemis would contact Araya herself and set up a peaceful meeting on a neutral territory, providing Araya consented to Artemis's terms. And although everyone wanted to go and rescue Derek and be there to protect their True Alpha, they didn't dare leave Beacon Hills unprotected, especially not now that Kate was on the loose, so only a small party consisting of Stiles, Malia, Kira and Lydia would accompany Artemis to the meeting.

XXX

Two days later, Artemis found herself sitting in the backseat of Stiles' jeep, wishing the jeep's AC unit was working a little better, as the sun was high in the sky, making it a blazing hot day and there wasn't so much as wisp of a cloud in sight to provide even the slightest relief. Eventually they pulled up into the parking lot of a restaurant which was, miraculously, on the border between the two territories. Outside of the restaurant was a blacked out SUV and there was a dark-haired man, Alejandro Calavero, standing guard by the door, armed with an assault rifle. He didn't look the least bit friendly or at all happy to see Artemis and her pack.

Boldly, Artemis stood proudly and her searing red eyes met Alejandro's own. "I'm here to meet with Araya as we agreed. I'm unarmed and no one will act unless I feel it's necessary. Let me inside."

"Just you, no one else," said Alejandro, gruffly as he shot a cold, disgusted look at Artemis's pack.

Stiles and the others looked angry and were about to make a fuss when Artemis held up a hand, silencing them and signaling that it was okay.

"Wait here and listen," she said.

With some reluctance, they agreed and then Artemis took a deep breath to steady her nerves before walking inside. Though she was more powerful than ever now and had help if she needed it, Artemis wasn't so stupid to be unprepared or to feel completely unafraid. A person without fear was a person without wisdom.

Inside, Artemis discovered that the restaurant was devoid of life, save for Araya, who sat at a table peeling an orange with serrated blade, and Artemis could also make out two small heartbeats coming from the kitchen. She chose to ignore the latter as there were more pressing issues to be dealt with.

" _Buenos Dias, Senorita Moon_ ," said Araya. Though her tone was polite, there was a dangerous look in Araya's eyes and her posture was that of a hardened warrior, something that unsettled Artemis greatly, especially after all the stories she'd been told of the older woman. "I must admit, I am impressed you called and met me. Not many of your kind would come here, much less meet me in person."

Artemis shrugged as she slowly sat down across from Araya. "Well, what can I say? I'm not like most of my kind. And besides, if it means saving Derek's life, I'm prepared to take a few risks." Unconsciously, Artemis reached up and touched her engagement ring, which was hanging from a silver chain on her neck. After Kate had kidnapped Derek, Artemis had removed it from her ring finger as she'd decided to hold off on the engagement announcement until Derek was safely returned home.

Araya nodded understandingly. "In this life, _familia_ is all that truly matters."

"Speaking of which, I would like to know just what exactly Kali did to earn protection of me and mine from yours, if I may ask," said Artemis, carefully.

There were many questions burning in Artemis's mind, but this one had been bugging her for months. Just what had happened all those years ago that a hunter like Araya would grant any kind of request to a werewolf like Kali, especially during the time when Kali was under Deucalion's thrall?

"Ah." Araya snapped her fingers and then two little girls, no older than twelve emerged from the kitchen. They were quite pretty but seemed shy, for neither of them said a word and what's more, they looked to be somewhat in awe of Artemis as they gazed at her. "Allow me to introduce my two granddaughters, Diana and Selene."

 _Diana and Selene_. Those were names of Moon deities in mythology, just like Artemis's own. It was a small detail that didn't escape Artemis's notice.

"After my son, their father, died from cancer when they were babies, I have raised them as my own. I love them more than I can begin to say. There is nothing I wouldn't do for them. But I digress. Many years ago, there was a monster wreaking havoc on our territory. It had already claimed the lives of a dozen children. We had to stop it and while we were tracking it, we came across your sister on the night of the full moon. At the time, she was there on a mission, collecting information for Deucalion. But at the time, we thought it was her committing the murders. Who could blame us, given your sister's reputation? Though she denied it, we didn't believe it and we fought her, but Kali was a formidable force to be reckoned with. The battle reached a stalemate and when it did, we heard the screams of Selene and Diana and the roars of the beast. My granddaughters were foolishly walking home from visiting friends instead of waiting to be picked up, and at that time of night, the streets were empty, making them the perfect prey for the beast.

"We let your sister go for the time being and attempted to rescue the girls. We didn't expect to encounter Kali again, but your sister surprised us all. Despite what she was and what she'd done, Kali did not ignore their cries. Whether it was because they were innocent or bore names similar to your own, I do not know. But I do know that she got there before we did and in the process of destroying that monster, nearly died saving my son's children. For that I owed her a heavy debt and I _always_ repay them, no matter who or what they are owed to. So, I allowed Kali to make a request. She could have asked for anything, but she asked nothing for herself or the Alpha pack. Instead she asked a favor for you and yours."

Artemis's eyes stung with tears she refused to shed in public and her heart clenched with grief. _Even back then, despite everything that had happened, you were still trying to protect me, Kali._

"Word travels fast in supernatural circles. Nothing stays hidden from those who know where to look, not for long that is. By that point in time, Kali knew of what had become of you in Beacon Hills. As did we. She wanted me to swear that no Calavero would ever harm you or your pack, and she also wanted my word that if Peter Hale crossed our path, we would make him pay for what he'd done to you," explained Araya. "Regardless of Kalika's actions, I could not refuse her wishes. She didn't know what you were destined to become back then, but we did and for that, it was easy for us to do ask she asked. You're invaluable, not just to the wolves but also to the hunters. And how could I pass up the chance to destroy that monster who bit you?"

Artemis's eyes narrowed. Araya wasn't lying but the older woman was still hiding something. "I thank you for that, but I still don't understand. Why am _I_ so important to _hunters?_ I'm not only a werewolf, I'm the _True Alpha._ I would think that'd put an even bigger target on my back."

"If you were an ordinary Alpha, perhaps that would be true, but you are not. What you do not yet understand, child, is that the True Alpha is both feared and respected not just by its own kind, but also by the hunters," said Araya. "Because it is your power, your true ultimate power, that decides that fates of us all. For that, no hunter in their right mind would _dare_ go after a True Alpha or any member of the True Alpha's pack. Even if they went too far."

Artemis blinked in confusion. Though she had evolved and gained more abilities, she didn't have the slightest idea what Araya was talking about. What power could be so important that even hunters like the Calavero family would let her and her pack live, even if they ever crossed the line?

"And what power would that be, if I may ask?"

Araya studied Artemis's face for a good long moment before replying. "You have evolved. You've furthered your ascension as the True Alpha. But your most special ability has not yet manifested. So, I think it best if I do not tell you. You must discover this on your own."

Artemis wanted to argue and demand answers but she could see it would be pointless, so instead she changed the subject.

"Tell me what happened with Kate. How did you two get involved with each other?"

Araya sighed and looked both angered and regretful. "The day of that monster's funeral, we went to pay our respects at the behest of Gerard, whom I owed a favor to. When we arrived, the coffin was not yet closed and the room was empty, and given our difficult history with Gerard's son, we planned to merely leave one of our bullets inside the coffin and depart before we were seen. Instead, we found Kate's throat injury almost completely healed. It was clear what had happened, she hadn't perished and when she'd turned, she'd entered into a healing coma. Naturally, we were appalled and disgusted."

Artemis's eyes narrowed, unable to prevent feeling a little insulted by Araya's comment. "By the fact that she lived or that she'd been turned?" Having heard from Rafael what happened when hunters became that which they hunted, it disgusted Artemis inside that they would turn so quickly on their own. And if that was the case with Kate, if that was the sole reason that Araya was hunting Kate and not because of Kate's sick, twisted actions, Artemis's opinion on Araya would greatly change.

Araya's face twisted with disgust. "Both, I suppose, but not for the reasons you think, little one. Kate's transformation revealed the monster she was inside and more than that, we could not let her go unpunished for what she had done. We may be more brutal than most hunters, but even we draw the line at the killing of innocents and humans, especially children. Kate's actions not only brought about terrible repercussions but also shamed the entire hunter community as well as her family. Just like her father's, as I'm sure you remember."

Artemis nodded. How could she ever forget that horrendous day when Kate had murdered the Hale family in cold blood or the terrible night when Gerard threw the code out the window and declared a genocidal war on her kind? All for the sake of his vengeance and in the hope that doing so would force Artemis to grant Gerard a cure for his terminal illness? Even now, she still had nightmares about it.

"So, you took Kate away before anyone was the wiser. And then what happened?"

"When a hunter has behaved as abominably as Kate did, they are given a choice—die at their own hands or that of another hunter's. Foolishly on our part, we gave Kate that choice. She chose to die at her own hands and we left her alone trapped in a barrier of mountain ash to do this. When we returned, she was on the floor, bleeding from a throat wound and unmoving. We thought she was gone and we intended to bury her in unmarked grave. But unfortunately, we underestimated _la-loba,_ the Bone Woman as we came to recognize her as. She faked her death and slaughtered two of my men before she escaped into the night and what's more, she gained a forbidden power to create dangerous beasts only spoken of in legends. Beserkers. We knew she would come to claim her revenge on you and your loved ones for your unwitting part in her fate, so we've been tracking her ever since. After many moons, we finally picked up a trail, which led us to Beacon Hills, more specifically to your mate's place of residence."

"That's why your men were in Derek's loft. You sent them there to protect him from Kate," said Artemis, in realization.

Araya nodded. "We hoped we could keep the situation under control. But we seem to have underestimated _la-loba._ She's nothing if not persistent and unpredictable."

"Yeah, Kate's like that." Though Artemis's tone was polite, inside she was burning with anger. How could Araya have been so stupid? So incredibly reckless? And how could they keep such important information about Kate a secret? Thanks to Araya's foolish behavior, a dangerous murderess was on the loose and Artemis's mate was in danger! "Do you have any idea where Kate might be or where she might've taken Derek?"

Once more, Araya nodded and this time, she rose up and pulled out a marked map from a drawer. "One of my best men tracked Kate to this location just last night. He has not yet checked in. You may find what you seek there."

Artemis wasted no time in pocketing the map. " _Gracias, Senora._ "

 _I'm coming for you, Derek. I'm coming._

"Hold it," said Araya, before Artemis could leave. "You may have some of your pack with you, but you may yet still need aid."

Artemis blinked in surprise. "Are you offering?"

"Yes and no." Araya then gave a rare smile as the sound of a motorcycle pulling up hit Artemis's ears and moments later, Braeden entered the room, armed and ready for a fight. "Braeden is one of the best trackers and hunters I know of. She'll act as your guide to _La Iglesia_ , the church, where Kate was last seen."

Artemis shook Braeden's hand. "Pleasure to meet you. I never had the chance to thank you for saving Isaac."

Braeden smiled as she returned the gesture. "No need. It's an honor to help the True Alpha. I've been looking forward to this meeting for a long while. Though I wish it was under better circumstances than this."

Artemis nodded in agreement.

"One other thing. If you find _la-loba,_ I ask that you capture her and return her to us so that we may carry out her punishment, if you do not decide to punish her yourself, that is," said Araya.

"Fine. It's a deal," said Araya.

Though it seemed cold to hand over Kate to the Calavero family to be killed and it sickened Artemis inside to do it, Artemis knew there was little choice in the matter. Human prison would not hold Kate and she'd already proven to be adapt at escaping mountain ash prisons. Kate was too dangerous to be allowed freedom and she had to be stopped before she killed anyone else.

Araya looked pleased to hear this and wished Artemis luck before the True Alpha departed with Braeden.

XXX

After what seemed like an eternity, they reached a collection of ruined buildings with Spanish styled church in the center by nightfall. According to Braeden, it was once a magnificent place of beauty and happiness before an earthquake leveled it many years ago. The locals believed the church alone survived the destruction because the church was not only built on top of an Aztec temple, but was also home to the Nagual, a race of shapeshifters also known as the werejaguars.

"Lydia, can you sense anything?" asked Artemis, hesitantly. She was almost afraid of asking, because she still couldn't pick up much of anything through the link she shared with Derek and Artemis was beginning to fear the worst.

Lydia closed her eyes for a moment and then shook her head. "I don't sense death. I think Derek's still alive, but something's off. I can't explain it."

Artemis sighed in relief and then she became alert as an unfamiliar scent hit her nose. "Does anyone else smell that?"

The scent wasn't human and what's more, it smelled purely of bone and death yet it was also alive, which made no sense. Then suddenly, a loud, unfamiliar rumbling growl hit their ears.

"What the heck was _that?_ " demanded Stiles.

"I don't know, but I think we might find out. Braeden, you're with me. Malia, Kira, stay here with Stiles and Lydia," ordered Artemis. "If we're not back in an hour, get the heck out of dodge. Understood?"

Everyone nodded in agreement and then Artemis left the jeep with Braeden close behind her. Thankfully, Artemis was able to pick up Derek's scent at long last and she followed it into the church and then they descended into a dark, damp cavern filled with cobwebs and skeletons. It was the same place where Rafael had found the unknown cure to his lycanthropy so long ago, as was evident by Rafael's exceedingly stale scent. It wasn't long into the two women's journey downwards that they came across the silhouette of their unknown pursuer, who stood seven feet tall with a skull for a face.

Instinctively, Braeden cocked her gun and prepared to fire, only to stop when Artemis grabbed the gun and shook her head.

"Don't. Fire at it, and we might just provoke it," warned Artemis. "We don't know what that thing is. We might get ourselves killed."

"What do you propose we do, then?" hissed Braeden. "Scare it off with your roar?"

"It's worth a shot," admitted Artemis.

As the True Alpha, Artemis was considered the apex predator of the supernatural world and as such, she had considerable influence, especially now that she'd further evolved.

Without waiting for a reply, Artemis's eyes glowed bright red and she let out a loud, powerful commanding roar that not only frightened off the beast but also caused a small cave-in. The fall of the rocks revealed a carved, circular sculpture which had been hidden.

"What the heck is _that?_ " asked Artemis.

Braeden grimaced. "It's the Nagual jaguar god. Legend says it has mystical power like the Nemeton. If Kate's found out how to access that power, there's no telling what she's done or what else she's capable of now."

Before Artemis could reply, the sound of Derek's heartbeat and the smell of his scent hit her. "Oh, gads. Derek!" He was in there and he was alive, but he wouldn't be for much longer. Without thinking twice, Artemis punched through the rock surface and then grabbed the slender, sun-kissed hand that reached out to her.

Braeden's eyes widened in shock as she aimed the flashlight on the unconscious figure before them. "Holy crap. Is that Derek?"

Artemis was too shocked to verbally reply. She just nodded before scooping her unconscious mate into her arms and carrying him outside where the others were waiting.

When they arrived, Stiles and the others looked stunned at what they saw. Derek was unconscious, but alive and unharmed, but that wasn't what was so shocking. Derek wasn't the full-grown Alpha wolf they knew him as. Rather, he was a teenaged blue-eyed Beta again.

Kate hadn't just kidnapped Derek, she'd reverted his mind and body to his teenage self. This was far from good.

 _ **(A/N: I know some of you are probably unhappy about this, but I've given this a**_ **lot** _ **of thought and it wasn't an easy decision to make. Please let me explain my reasoning. I hate season five of**_ **Teen Wolf** _ **with a passion as the overall storyline as well as what happened with some of characters was crap in my opinion, and that season was also disgusting beyond all reason, graphic-wise. And I think we can all agree that season six was a complete and utter disaster with no satisfactory resolution. Also, I felt like everything came full circle in season four, so it seems logical to end it with this installment. So, I hope you'll forgive me and continue to read and review. Also, if anyone's interested in the list of Artemis's new powers, feel free to PM me.)**_


	2. One Hundred Seventeen

**One Hundred Seventeen**

 _ **Beacon Hills High, Pre-Hale Fire.**_

 _It was the night of the full moon. Overjoyed cheers and whoops echoed throughout the halls of Beacon Hills High._

 _The Beacon Hills Cyclones basketball team had just won the championship game against their competitors and all were celebrating—the team, teachers, the students and all the spectators. All, however, except for the team's star player, Derek Hale, who was hiding in the locker room under the running water of the showers. His dark eyes briefly glowed a cold, bright blue in the moonlight as he struggled to control his inner wolf._

 _It was foolish to play in the games on the night of the full moon, but Derek had been confident that he could control the wolf and not hurt anyone. Besides, it'd been a championship game. How could he have let his teammates down? Derek was their best player. They needed him and without Derek, they'd have lost and probably would've blamed him for it. He'd had to play._

" _Gah!" moaned Derek, as he slammed his body against the lockers. He could feel his inner wolf trying to claw its way out. Why did it hurt so much? Why was lycanthropy so difficult to control when it was supposed to be easier for born werewolves instead of bitten ones? Out of desperation, he took his family's Triskelion out of his locker and repeated the chant that his Uncle Peter had taught him for control. "Alpha, Beta, Omega…Alpha, Beta, Omega…Alpha, Beta, Ome—gah!_ "

 _Derek was almost hyperventilating as another jolt of pain shot through his body and he could feel his wolf fangs beginning to emerge. Oh, gads, why wasn't this working? Suddenly, Derek's ears perked up when he heard the sound of a familiar voice._

" _Derek? Are you in here?"_

 _Derek's heart skipped a beat. It was Artemis Moon, his best friend. She couldn't show up now, not while he was like this. She didn't even know anything about the supernatural, much less that Derek was a werewolf. If Derek hurt her, he'd never forgive himself. He had to protect her._

" _I'm right here, Huntress. But please…please, go wait outside. I…I don't want to hurt you." He added, so quietly, he didn't think anyone could hear it._

 _To Derek's horror, Artemis emerged from around the corner, looking just a little puzzled as she smiled. "Hurt me? Don't be ridiculous! We're best friends. You'd never hurt me. I'll prove it."_

 _Before Derek could stop her, Artemis not only shut off the water but she gave Derek a tight hug, not caring that he was soaking wet and getting Artemis wet in turn._

 _Much to Derek's immense surprise and relief, he could feel his inner wolf quieting down and his control returning as he returned the loving embrace. His anger and fear faded away as if it had never been there in the first place. Artemis was calming him down, anchoring him. How had she done that? It seemed like ever since they'd first met, Artemis had changed something in Derek. When she was around, Derek's anger was replaced with something stronger, something that kept him grounded and made him feel complete. But what it was, Derek couldn't say._

 _Eventually, they broke apart and Derek was smiling. "Thanks, Huntress. I needed that."_

" _Come on. Everyone's waiting to go celebrate," said Artemis. "Let's get you dried off and go."_

 _Derek smiled and took Artemis's hand as he allowed Artemis to lead him out of the showers._

 _Unbeknownst to them both, Derek's uncle Peter was watching the exchange with great interest._

XXX

 _ **Beacon Hills, present day**_

It was late and pouring rain by the time Artemis and the others returned to Beacon Hills. They were nearly a day overdue due to something in the shape of a sharp bone hitting Stiles' car and damaging the engine, forcing the group to make repairs before they could travel on. Naturally, by the time they reached Deaton's office, the pack met them with worried looks. They were even more concerned to see what Kate had done to their beloved Alpha as the sight of Derek as a teenaged Beta was quite a shocking sight to see.

"Holy crap," muttered Isaac, as Artemis laid Derek on the table. "Is this really Derek?"

Artemis nodded. "It's Derek when I knew him…before he left after the fire." She cast a worried glance at her mate. He had yet to wake up and to make matters worse, he was cold as ice even though he was bundled in a thick blanket and Artemis had held him close to her the entire ride to Beacon Hills. What if Kate's actions had done more damage than any of them knew?

"Wow," murmured Deaton.

Stiles perked up. "Wow as is 'I've seen this before and I know exactly what to do' wow? Because that's the kind of wow we're hoping for."

If even Deaton, a druid with extensive supernatural forte didn't know what Kate had done or how to reverse it, they were in seriously trouble.

Deaton looked regretful as he did a brief examination of Derek. "I think you overestimate my abilities, unfortunately. This is well beyond my experience."

"Well, do you think this is permanent or temporary?" asked Cora. They couldn't afford to have Derek in this condition. They needed him, his strength and his power, especially now that Kate was on the loose with dangerous powers. "Is there _anything_ we can do?"

"I can't say for certain but I think it's temporary," said Deaton. "Unfortunately, we don't know the extent of Derek's transformation. We don't know if Derek's mind has gone back as well as his body. And until he wakes up, I don't know that there's anything you can do. So, until Derek regains consciousness, I suggest you all return to your homes and get some sleep. It's a school night and I think it's time you start paying attention to your lives outside of supernatural crises."

Artemis hesitated. She had no desire to leave Derek so soon after getting him back, but Deaton had a point. Nothing more could be done until Derek awoke. But someone needed to stay with him to help Deaton when Derek awoke. If Derek woke up and his mindset was still a teenager's, Deaton wouldn't be able to control Derek, especially if Derek panicked.

"I'll stay to help," offered Isaac, as though he was guessing Artemis's thoughts. "My grades are fine. I can skip a day. If that's okay."

As Isaac had a particularly close bond with Derek, given that he was Derek's first turn and Derek was like a dad to the young Beta, Artemis understood Isaac's reasoning and gave her consent, as did Deaton. Which left only one other problem.

"If Kate shows up, are you _sure_ that Kate can't get in?" asked Artemis. It was a fair question, given how Deaton had been kidnapped and nearly killed by the Darach all those months ago.

Deaton nodded reassuringly. "If Kate truly is alive and what you say she is, she can't get in." He cast a proud glance at the building. "This entire facility is fortified against supernaturals. I promise, Derek will be kept safe."

Relieved, Artemis nodded and then tenderly stroked her fiancé's face before whispering into his ear, "I love you, Derek. Please come back." Then with great reluctance, the pack then left the clinic.

XXX

It was early in the morning by the time Artemis returned home. Save for the sound of her father's snores as he lay camped out on the living room couch, the house was dark and quiet, and judging from the bags under Rafael's eyes, the man had had a long, worrying day. Quietly, so as not to awaken Rafael, Artemis carefully crept inside the house, but in her own tiredness, she failed to notice the toolbox on the floor, which had been left out when Rafael made repairs to the leaking roof until suddenly, there was a loud crash as Artemis tripped and fell onto the dining room floor.

"Ow! Fart sucking—!" she hissed. She clutched at her aching leg, only to pull back her hand at the smell of fresh blood. The worn denim of her jeans was cut along with her leg, thanks to the sharp edge of the toolbox lid. _Great. Just great. What's next?_

"Artemis? Are you home?"

Artemis's head shot up at the sound of the sleepy voice of her father, Rafael, followed by the soft rustle of movement from the couch as he rose up and switched on the lights. Like magic, the worry in his eyes was replaced with relief as he strode over to Artemis, helped her stand up and then he held her close.

"Thank heaven you're back. I've been worried sick. You missed dinner," he said, concerned. "Are you okay? How's the pack?"

Artemis bit back a sigh as she mentally berated herself. She'd forgotten that in an attempt to mend fences with each other, she was supposed to have dinner with Rafael on nights when Melissa worked nightshift. And considering whose territory she'd just left and the fact that her phone had died before she could call Rafael about the delay in getting back, it was no wonder that Rafael had been worried.

"I'm fine, Dad," she assured him, as they broke apart. "We had some car trouble and my phone died before I could call you about it. We're all okay, I promise. I'm just sorry I woke you."

Rafael waved a hand, brushing it off. "Don't worry about it. It's my fault for leaving the toolbox out. Speaking of which, you're bleeding."

"I'm fine. It's just a scratch," said Artemis. When Rafael didn't look convinced and knowing he was thinking of that terrible night when Artemis nearly died, Artemis placed her hand on Rafael's shoulder. "Dad, I'm okay. _Really_. Look, it's already healed." As if for proof, Artemis lifted the denim up, revealing the already healed cut. "I'm _fine_."

After a few moments more, Rafael accepted this. "What time is it? And how was the trip?

Artemis glanced at the alarm clock on the table, which read ten past three in the morning, and turned it around to conceal it from her father.

"Later than I'd like," said Artemis. "Which means I'll give you the short version, because I really need to get some sleep. Kate's been turned into a werejaguar and somehow, she's turned Derek back into a teenager. And there was something else in Mexico, something big with an animal skull for a face. I don't suppose you have any ideas about it?"

Rafael looked alarmed as he shook his head. "No, that's new one, even for me. But the creature sounds familiar, so I'll check my family's bestiary, see if anything matches."

"Okay, great." Artemis yawned and fought the urge to rub her eyes. "I'd better get to bed before I pass out here on the floor. Good-night, Dad."

"Good-night, honey."

And with that, Artemis went to bed and was asleep before her head hit the pillow. Before falling into a deep, dreamless sleep, she wondered what tomorrow would bring. Kate was undoubtedly going to show up. No way would she have left Derek alone without some way to track him. And there was also no doubt in Artemis's mind that whatever that creature she'd seen had been, it was connected with the "forbidden power" that Araya had spoken of and was also the cause of Kate's nickname of _la-loba,_ the Bone Woman. What were they going to encounter and would they be prepared for it so soon after the battle with the Nogitsune? Artemis could only hope and pray.

XXX

The next day, Sheriff Stilinski was filling out some paperwork in his office, relishing in the fact that it was easy, run-of-the-mill work instead of something supernatural related for the first time in months, when there was a knock on his office door and then Parrish poked his head in.

"Sheriff, got a minute? We have a strange situation," said Parrish.

 _Strange situation?_ There went his peaceful morning. "What is it?"

"Officer Haigh apprehended a kid trespassing on the Hale property—"

"Derek Hale's property?" interrupted Sheriff Stilinski, surprised. Nobody went near the Hale property without consent, especially now that Derek was in the middle of rebuilding the Hale House after so long.

Parrish nodded. "Yeah. Anyway, there was a bit of a scuffle with Haigh and the kid. You know how Haigh gets."

Sheriff Stilinski groaned as he rubbed his eyes. It was code for Haigh abusing his power yet again. This was the third time this month that Haigh been written up for police brutality and harassment. One more strike and Stilinski was definitely firing him and locking him up, regardless of how short-staff the police department was.

"Tell him he's suspended for the rest of the week," said Sheriff Stilinski. "I'll handle the kid. Was there anything else?"

Parrish shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "Yeah, there is. The kid's definitely a young teenager. But we've run his fingerprints eight times and the only record his match are that of Derek Hale's."

Sheriff Stilinski immediately shot up out of his seat, shocked, and without waiting for a reply, left his office and went into the other room. Parrish's computer showed Derek Hale's fingerprint file, taken from when he'd been arrested on suspicion of murder during the Nogitstune incident. It showed Derek as the adult he was now, but the person sitting on the bench, looking upset and confused was clearly _not_ an adult Derek Hale.

"What the heck?" murmured Sheriff Stilinski. He looked at the kid. "Are you Derek Hale?"

Sheriff Stilinski's heart sank as the kid nodded, confirming Sheriff Stilinski's fears. Fingerprints didn't lie and were impossible to fake, the kid just confirmed his identity and what's more, the kid had been found at the Hale property insisting it was _his_. Which meant there was no doubt about it, the kid in front of Sheriff Stilinski was Derek Hale.

Sheriff Stilinski was just about to ask aloud how this was possible when suddenly, Stiles and Artemis burst into the room, out of breath and looking sheepish. They were supposed to be in school, but had left early when Isaac called them in a panic, telling them Derek had woken up scared out of his mind and hadn't recognized Isaac or Deaton before taking off to who knew where. Knowing that a wolf always went to its den when scared and knowing that Derek would naturally go to the Hale house, unaware of what'd happened to it, Artemis had tracked her mate's scent to the police department.

 _I should've known._ "You two, in my office. Now!"

Artemis and Stiles didn't need to be told twice as they followed Sheriff Stilinski into his office.

"I need you two to be honest with me. Totally and completely honest with me," said Sheriff Stilinski. When Stiles and Artemis nodded their agreement, Sheriff Stilinski burst out, "Have you two been time traveling?"

Artemis looked as though she might laugh at this when Stiles' face twisted with confusion. "Hang on. _What?_ "

"Because if time-traveling's real, I'm out," continued Sherriff Stilinski, ignoring their reactions. "You hear me? I'm done. I'm _out!_ " Sheriff Stilinski had come to accept a lot of things being real since his exposure to the supernatural world Artemis lived in. But this was pushing even his limits. "You're going to be driving _me_ to Eichen House! When you said you found Derek, you failed to mention that he was found swimming in the Fountain of Youth!"

"Dad, calm down. Time-travel isn't real and neither is the Fountain of Youth. I think," added Stiles, after a forethought. "We found Derek buried in a tomb of wolfsbane buried in an Aztec temple in Mexico underneath a church in the middle of a town that was destroyed by an earthquake."

Artemis gave Stiles a look that said he'd gone perhaps too far with his explanation.

Sheriff Stilinski sighed in as he leaned against his desk. Of all the policemen in all the world who had to know the truth about the world in which he lived in, why did it have to be Sheriff Stilinski of all people? Right now, he wished more than anything he could still be ignorant of it all because this was pushing even his tolerance limits as well as his sanity.

"Sheriff, look, we don't know why but Derek's been aged backwards by Kate. He can't remember anything," said Artemis. " _I_ need to talk to him."

Sheriff Stilinski sighed yet again. "Well, so far he's not saying much of anything to anyone."

"Nothing's changed there, then," muttered Stiles.

Artemis scowled at Stiles. "Dude, not now."

"Sorry. But, Arty, you do realize that you talking to Derek might not be such a good idea? I mean, how're you going to explain to your mate that not only are you're his mate and older than him now?" demanded Stiles. "Or that you're not only a werewolf but a _True Alpha?_ Derek won't believe it and he won't trust you."

"Have you got any better ideas?" demanded Artemis. She didn't like the plan anymore than Stiles did, but they had next to no options at the moment. A lone werewolf rarely survived on its own and with Kate on the loose and Derek's powers reduced, Derek was in more danger than ever before. He needed to be with the pack if he was to survive and for that to happen, they needed to gain his trust. "I have to do this if we want to get anywhere."

Without waiting for a reply, Artemis rose up and walked over to Derek, who'd been taken to an interrogation room so he could have some time alone to settle down. "Derek?"

Derek's head shot up upon hearing his name and his brow wrinkled in confusion as his eyes briefly glowed bright blue. "Who are you? Do I know you? You seem kind of familiar."

Artemis nodded as she sat down across from Derek. "I'm the True Alpha." As if for proof, Artemis made her eyes briefly glow bright red, making Derek gaze at her in awe and shock. "And yes, you do know me. Derek…there's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to come out with it. My name is Artemis Diana Moon. It's me. It's Huntress. Do you remember me?"

" _What?_ " exclaimed Derek. He narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "No, that's impossible. You're lying. I know Huntress. She's much younger than you and she's _not_ the True Alpha!"

"You can hear my heartbeat. You know I'm telling the truth," said Artemis, calmly. She took out her birthday necklace from Derek from underneath her shirt and held it out to him. "And remember this? You gave it to me for my birthday."

Derek stubbornly shook his head again. "You call that proof? Not everyone's heartbeat changes when they lie and most people can control it. And you could've stolen Huntress's necklace from her if you really wanted to! You say you're Artemis? Prove it!"

Artemis sighed. Derek wanted proof? Fine. She would give him proof. "When I was little, I was in the woods running from a rabid dog, screaming for help. Suddenly, your hand shot down from a tree and I grabbed it. You lifted me up to safety and scared off the dog. I was shaking with fear and even though I didn't know you from Adam, I held you for dear life and I trusted you. You introduced yourself to me and then sang Disney songs to me in Spanish until I calmed down and I promised never to tell a living soul that you could sing. After that, we became best friends for life."

Artemis had never told anyone the full story of how she and Derek met and became friends and neither had Derek. Telling him the full story now was proof undeniable.

Upon hearing this, Derek paled, rose up from his seat and knelt down in front of her. He studied her face for several long moments before his eyes widened.

"Huntress?" he gasped. "You…you're a werewolf?"

Artemis nodded and then Derek's eyes darkened with anger. "Who did this to you? Who bit you? I swear to heaven, if they did this without your permission, I'll kill them!"

Artemis bit back a smile at Derek's protective behavior. No matter what age he was, Derek never changed. He was still her strong, protective and caring mate that she'd always known and loved. But there was no time to dwell on that now.

"It's not important right now. What _is_ important is you, we need to keep you safe," said Artemis, firmly.

Derek frowned. "Protect me? From what? Does this have something to do with my family? What's happened to my house?"

Artemis sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. _Kali, give me the strength to do this!_ Artemis remembered all too well how Derek had reacted the first time he learned of the Hale fire and the loss he'd suffered for it. Now, he was going to have to endure all that again and this time it might kill him.

"Derek, please sit down," said Artemis. Her tone gave no room for argument, so Derek did as he was told and then Artemis knelt down in front of him. "Derek…can you tell me the date?" When Derek did, Artemis bit her lip in concern. It wasn't the current date, far from it. When she in turn told him the current date, Derek was shocked and almost didn't believe it until Artemis showed him her phone and gave him a brief rundown on the man he'd become, telling him that he became an Alpha and had sired three werewolves. She gave Derek a little time to adjust before telling him more. "You've been aged backwards. We don't know how, but we're going to find a way to reverse it."

"Who did this to me?" demanded Derek. He couldn't believe that he not only grew to become an Alpha but had made his own pack but couldn't remember it. "And where is my family in all this? Where's my mom?"

Artemis swallowed painfully as tears stung her eyes. "Derek…Derek, I'm so sorry, but…Kate set the Hale house on fire. You, Cora and Peter are the only surviving Hales." She didn't mention that Laura had also survived, only to be killed at Peter's hand several years later to steal her Alpha power or that Peter had gone mad with vengeance and had been Artemis's Alpha before Derek killed him to protect her and help her. "And it was Kate who did this to you. She's also been turned on accident by another. I'm so sorry, Derek."

Artemis watched in heartbreaking horror as Derek suddenly found himself unable to breathe and then he roared so loudly in terrible grief that the whole building seemed to shake. Artemis then wrapped her arms around Derek and held him tight against her as Derek clutched her for dear life and cried into her shoulder. Artemis couldn't stop herself from crying as well, crying for her mate's loss and the pain of betrayal from Kate.

XXX

Two hours later, Derek had calmed down enough for Artemis to safely release him into the pack's care. It was decided that Stiles would take Derek to Artemis's house where Rafael was waiting with dinner and they'd set up the mountain ash barrier. There, Derek would wait until Artemis returned from consulting with Peter, who'd returned from his "personal trip." Artemis had little desire to talk to Peter, but he was the only other person in town who might have some clue as to Kate's motives for her actions as well as an idea on how to reverse it.

When Artemis pulled up outside of Peter's apartment, she was surprised to see Malia waiting for her. "Hey. What're you doing here? I thought you'd be with Stiles at the house."

"I was but then I heard you were coming to talk to Peter. Since he's basically Satan in a V-neck and with everyone else scattered, I thought you should have some backup," said Malia.

Artemis smiled just a little as she parked her bike. "Thanks, but I can handle Peter." Once upon a time, Peter had frightened Artemis, but not so much anymore now that Artemis saw Peter for what he truly was, was a lot stronger than Peter and had a powerful pack behind her.

"You can handle him better with me," said Malia.

Artemis could see that Malia wasn't about to be dissuaded, so she let the matter drop and followed the werecoyote inside the apartment.

Malia frowned as they entered the living room. "Do you hear that? It sounds like Peter's heart is pounding like crazy."

Artemis frowned as well. "Yeah, I wonder why." It was odd to think of Peter Hal of all people ever being nervous. Heck, even when the odds had been stacked against him, the werewolf hadn't seemed the least bit afraid. So, what could he have to be fearful about now?

"Believe it or not, even _I_ get a little shy when it comes to proper introductions. I'm only human, so to speak," said Peter, not taking his eyes off the book he was reading. After turning the last page, he then closed the book, smiled and rose up from the couch. "Where are my manners? I do apologize. We haven't been _properly_ introduced. I'm Peter Hale, you must be Malia. I must say, you have beautiful eyes. Do you get them from your father?"

Malia frowned in confusion. "Mother."

"Ah, of course."

Malia wasn't the only one confused. Artemis was too. Why the heck was Peter acting so weird and since when did he care about "proper" introductions, much less anything about Malia's bloodline? It didn't make a lick of sense, but Artemis decided not to ask as they had bigger problems than just Peter's weird behavior.

"I'm sure Artemis has told you all about me," continued Peter.

"The psychotic killing spree came up," said Malia, coolly. "Although, the next time you kill someone, would it kill you to make sure they stay dead?"

Peter's brow wrinkled in confusion. "I beg your pardon?" He looked at Artemis. "I know I've been out of town, but what is she talking about? We don't have a zombie epidemic, do we?"

Artemis scowled at Peter's pitiful joke. "No, we don't have _zombies,_ but we do have an issue about you and the other woman you turned."

Peter groaned and shook his head. "Oh, for the love of—! Not you too! Like I told that nutcase, Araya, _I didn't turn anyone else!_ I only ever bit _you_ , Artemis! Why is that so hard to believe?"

"It's not, except for the fact that the bite isn't the only way to turn someone," retorted Artemis. "Or are you telling me that you honestly didn't know you could turn people with a scratch? Did you seriously not know that?"

Peter rolled his eyes. "Well, _yeah_ , I knew. But only if the claws go in deep enough and it's supposed to be _beyond_ rare. We're talking one in a…" Peter's voice wandered off and his face darkened with anger as he realized what Artemis was saying. "…million. Kate, I presume?"

Both Artemis and Malia nodded and the two young women found it difficult to laugh at the look on Peter's face as he began to pitch a fit.

"Can someone in this town stay dead?" ranted Peter. Jackson didn't die when he was supposedly dead, neither had Peter or Jennifer and now Kate had joined the list. Was there anyone who died and was going to _stay_ that way?

"I think they were hoping _you_ would," said Malia.

Peter gave Malia an annoyed look, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Can we stay focused here?" asked Artemis, in annoyance. "Peter, she's turned Derek back into a teen, both physically and mentally. Can you think of any reason _why_ Kate would turn Derek back into a teenager?"

Peter was quiet for a moment. "What color were his eyes and did he know you?"

"Blue and yes."

"So, after he met Paige, before he met Kate," said Peter, as he started to pace the room.

"Wait, Derek and Kate knew each other?" said Malia, stunned.

Peter smirked. "Biblically."

"Excuse me?" said Malia, looking sickened.

Artemis scowled at Peter. "It wasn't like _that_." Kate and Derek had dated, yes, but they'd never even kissed, for heaven's sake! She turned to Malia. "Kate is Derek's ex-girlfriend. Long story short, Kate tricked Derek into trusting her and she was responsible for the Hale Fire."

Malia grimaced and then turned to Peter. "Can you think of any reason why Kate would turn Derek back into a teenager?"

Peter didn't reply for a moment as he began to think and pace. "Did he go to the Hale house when he woke up?"

Artemis nodded. "Yeah, he didn't remember the Hale fire."

"Well, if he didn't remember the fire, then he doesn't remember that it was _Kate_ that set it," said Peter, in realization. "Kate didn't just take Derek back to his teen years, she took him back to the age when he still knew her, when he still _trusted_ her."

Artemis paled and her heart sank at the implication behind Peter's words. "But Derek knows now what Kate did. I filled him on it."

"You really think that'll stop Kate? She's like a force of nature. Once she sets her mind on something, she won't stop until she gets it and right now, she needs Derek to do what she wants," said Peter. "Where's Derek now?"

"At my house with the others. He's—hold on." Artemis's phone then went off with a call from Jackson. Thinking it was urgent, she put the phone on speaker. "Hey, what is it? Is Derek okay?"

" _I wouldn't know since we're not at your place. Lydia and I stopped to get gas at the station on 415 East 71_ _st_ _street and she had one of her banshee episodes,_ " said Jackson. " _The gas station attendant's been butchered in the bathroom and it has Kate's scent all over it. We called the cops, but it's going to be a while before they get here._ "

"What? That doesn't make any sense. I know Kate's a homicidal maniac but she's also strategic. Why would she kill an ordinary gas station attendant?" asked Artemis. "He was a yutz but he was human. She had nothing to gain from his death. So, what the heck's going on with her?"

Peter frowned. "Jackson, send a picture of the crime scene."

Jackson complied and soon Artemis's phone lit up with the most gruesome crime scene photos that Artemis had ever seen in her life.

"Whoa," murmured Malia. "That is disgusting." And this coming from the werecoyote who lived off uncooked meat for years of her life. "Why would Kate murder him?"

Peter shook his head. "This isn't a _murder_ , it's a frenzy." A knowing smirk then crossed Peter's face. "She can't control the shift. She hasn't learned control."

"So, what, she wants Derek to teach her how to control the shift?" asked Malia, puzzled. "She took Derek and turned him into a teen just so he'd teach her control? That seems crazy, even for a psycho like Kate Argent."

Artemis clutched her forehead in realization. " _Duh!_ She doesn't want Derek to _teach her_ control! She wants the Triskelion from the Hale vault at the school." The Hale family had numerous vaults throughout the country, each one holding either enormous quantities of money and/or special items, heirlooms and supernatural artifacts that had been collected for centuries. Only a Hale by blood or supernatural mate of the Hale family could access said vaults, which explained why Kate needed Derek to help. She was neither a Hale by blood nor a mate.

Peter nodded in agreement. "Which means we need to get your place now. I sincerely doubt a mountain ash barrier's going to keep Kate away from Derek."

As if for proof of Peter's words, Artemis's phone then lit up with a call from Stiles. "Talk to me. What's going on? Are you all safe?"

" _No, nobody's safe. Kate just showed up and Derek's left with her,_ " said Stiles, urgently.

Artemis's heart skipped a beat. Derek had willingly left with Kate? Even after Artemis had told him what that lunatic had done to the Hale family? What the heck was Derek thinking?

"What? Why?!" demanded Artemis.

" _She showed up and asked Derek to leave with her. When he refused, she came back with some goons and broke the mountain ash barrier. We fought but her pet monsters tossed everyone around like rag dolls. Then Kate said she'd kill us all if Derek didn't do what she wanted. That big lummox went with her on the promise that Kate would leave us all alone once Derek did as she asked_ ," replied Stiles. " _We don't know where they went, Artemis. I'm sorry._ "

"Oh, crap." Artemis took a deep breath. She knew this might happen. Why hadn't she been better prepared for it? "Okay, Stiles, listen, is everyone okay? How badly is everyone hurt?"

" _We're all alive and considering what just happened, we're not too badly hurt. Why?_ " asked Stiles.

"Just checking. I want everyone to heal up. Malia, Peter and I got a lead on Kate and we're going after her. I'll call back in a bit. Stay with the pack and keep them safe," ordered Artemis.

She did not wait for a reply before hanging up.

XXX

Meanwhile, Derek was escorting Kate to the Hale vault.

He hadn't wanted to do this but after seeing Kate nearly killed his second pack, he hadn't been willing to let any of them sacrifice their lives for his. Even if he didn't have his memories or his Alpha status, Derek still felt a sense of protectiveness and affection for the pack and knew it was his duty to protect them and keep them safe, especially Artemis.

"Once we get into the Hale vault and collect the Triskelion, I'll be a very happy woman," said Kate. "You're doing the right thing, Derek."

Derek glared at Kate. "I don't care if it's right thing for _you_ , Kate," he spat. "I'm only doing this for my pack. And you'd better keep your word. I get you into the vault and give you the Triskelion, you skip town, leave Huntress and my pack alone."

Once Derek handed over the stupid medallion, he didn't care what Kate did as long as she stayed far away from Beacon Hills and the pack.

"When I get what I want, I won't be a problem to her anymore," said Kate, smoothly. Knowing that Derek was most likely watching for any signs of a lie, Kate was careful to phrase her words. She wasn't lying, per se. Just withholding information. If her plans worked then Artemis wouldn't worry about Kate because Artemis would be dead. But Derek didn't need to know that. "Now, how much longer before we arrive?"

"We're here," said Derek, grumpily, as they reached the Beacon Hills High sign.

Kate blinked in surprise. "This vault was built under the school?"

Derek shook his head. "No, you moron. The vault was here first." And with that, Derek flicked his hand, extending his claws and then he plunged his claws into the rune-shaped lock on the side of the sign. There was a brief flash of electricity and then Derek turned his hand to-and-fro, causing the sign to turn and a staircase to appear.

"Werejaguars first," said Derek, rudely.

Kate ignored Derek's insult before she descended the staircase as Derek followed.

XXX

The skies darkened with storm clouds and the wind picked up in speed, signaling the approach of storm as Artemis, Malia and Peter pulled into the parking lot of the school. Suddenly, all three of them froze as an all-too familiar scent hit their noses.

"Do you guys smell that?" asked Artemis.

Malia nodded as she frowned. "It's the same scent from Mexico."

"What's she talking about?" demanded Peter.

"There was some kind of monster guarding Derek's prison in Mexico. I didn't get a very good look at it, but it was _huge_ with an animal skull on its head," explained Artemis, as her heart skipped a beat. "It must be with Kate. Didn't Stiles say she had some monsters for goons?"

As if in answer, an all-too familiar growl then echoed throughout the area and Peter looked not only frightened but also sick.

"Oh, crap. I know that sound. That would explain Kate's nickname of the Bone Woman," he said, gravely. "I know what these things are."

"Don't keep us in suspense. What the heck is it?" demanded Artemis.

Peter looked grave. "Have either of you ever heard of Berserkers?"

Having memorized Argent family's bestiary as well as the Hale family's, Artemis immediately recognized the name and she paled. If Kate had managed to actually create and control Berserkers, then they were worse off than they thought. "Oh, _crap._ "

"What's a Berserker?" asked Malia.

"Think of it as like a golem—a creature made out of a headless corpse, covered in animal bones for armor. It's not human, so it cannot be reasoned with. It will not show mercy because it knows none. It only does as is ordered by its creator, it won't stop in its mission and it's ten times stronger than a werewolf," said Peter, urgently. "And there's also one of them standing right behind you."

Artemis and Malia spun around to see the monsters that Peter described standing ten feet behind them, armed to the teeth and ready for a fight. Malia immediately shifted and took a defensive stance, but Peter grabbed her shoulder and held her back.

"Are you crazy?" hissed Peter. "Did you not hear a single thing that I said?"

"There's only two. We can take them!" insisted Malia. They'd gone up against worse enemies than that of a bone golem. Surely, they could take down the Berserkers.

"Yeah and your pack greatly outnumbered them yet they still got their butts kicked! There's only two, which means we have a greater chance of surviving. Now, if you want to live, I suggest you run!" ordered Peter.

Artemis took a defensive stance. While Peter was correct in the level of danger the Beserkers posed, she also knew deep down that she could handle it. But that didn't mean she was about to risk Malia and Peter's lives in the process.

"I've got this, guys. Go find Derek," she ordered.

Both Peter and Malia looked at Artemis as though she'd gone insane.

"What? But—"

" _Go!_ " ordered Artemis. Her eyes glowed bright red as she invoked her Alpha command, forcing Peter and Malia to flee.

Once alone, Artemis shifted into her white wolf beast form and then charged at the Berseker. The Berserker swung at Artemis and she gracefully dodged it as she tucked and rolled around behind the Berserker. She then plunged her claws into the Berserker's back and tossed it across the courtyard like a rag doll, causing most of its armor to crack and break. The Berserker rose and swiped at Artemis with its talon, grazing her arm and causing her to bleed but the True Alpha barely noticed as she not only had a higher pain tolerance now but it also healed almost quickly as it had been made. Angry, Artemis then let out a powerful roar that froze the Besereker in its tracks just as it was about to attack again. She then grabbed it by its arms and tore the Berserker in two, causing it to crumble into dust.

Artemis let out a shaky breath as she reverted back to her human form. That was one Berserker gone. But who knew how many more Kate had created or would create once she found out about Artemis destroying one of them?

As if in answer, Artemis heard the sound of another Berserker and knew there was still a fight to finish. The night was far from over.

XXX

Meanwhile, down in the Hale vault, Derek and Kate were looking for the Triskelion. It was not an easy task as there was a large quantity of shelves containing boxes and other containers throughout the large, stone chamber and nor was the vault properly organized. Eventually, Derek got lucky and opened just the right box.

"Found it."

Kate sighed in relief as she took the offered box, opened it and took out the Triskelion. Much to her surprise, its appearance didn't seem to live up to all the hype. It was a small, wooden circular disk with Derek's tattoo engrave on it. What's more, when Kate held it, she didn't feel any different than she had a few moments ago.

"This is it? Are you sure?" she asked, as her eyes narrowed.

Derek nodded, not understanding Kate's reaction. "It's what you wanted. Now, will you please go?"

"And _this_ is what'll give me control over the shift?" pressed Kate.

"Actually, no, because it can't."

Startled, Kate spun around see Peter and Malia descending the stairs, with dangerously calm looks on their faces.

"What are you talking about?" demanded Kate. "It's fake?"

Peter smirked as he shook his head. "Oh, no, it's quite real. It's been handed down through the family for centuries. But what isn't real is all the hype surrounding it. You see, Kate, what you've got there, is a lycanthrope's training wheels. The Triskelion is meant to act as an object for a werewolf to focus on until they find their anchor and true control over the shift. Talia used it to teach Laura and Cora, and I _tried_ to use it to teach Derek. But he never used it to teach his own Betas because that silly little flea market trinket is more or less useless. It doesn't have any magic, nothing to give you the control you're after.

"What's more, when using that stupid trinket didn't help Derek with control, I tried to teach him to use anger and rage. But only for so well and so long. Then he met Artemis Moon, a seemingly ordinary little human girl that he'd rescued from a rabid dog. But as it turned out, she wasn't an ordinary girl, because right afterwards, Derek changed from an angry youngling to a protective wolf. Derek's desire to protect his precious Huntress of the Moon, his love for his mate, was far stronger than Derek's anger. Love became his new anchor and gave him the control he needed. It made him into the Alpha werewolf he became."

Upon hearing that all her hard work, all her planning had been for nothing Kate's face twisted in furious rage as she grabbed Derek by the scruff of his shirt.

"Is this true?! _IS THIS TRUE?_ " yelled Kate.

"Yes, it's true!" yelled Derek. At this point, he didn't care if Kate knew. He just wanted her to let him go so he could be with the one he loved. "That stupid thing's useless and I love Huntress! She's been my anchor ever since we met! I—gah!"

As soon as he said this, Derek pulled back as if in pain and then his body twisted and distorted for several long, painful moments and then suddenly, he was fully restored to his adult self. Except for his eyes, which were now glowing their former color of bright blue as he glared at Kate. He was back, but at the cost of his Alpha status and powers, something that didn't make him happy in the least.

" _You_ ," he growled, as he shifted into his wolf form. "You are going to pay for this!"

Kate just growled as she shifted into her werejaguar form.

Before Derek could act, however, Artemis's howl echoed throughout the room and everyone froze in their tracks as Artemis then descended the steps. She was sporting a number of injuries that were healing rapidly, her clothes were torn and bloody but she seemed otherwise unharmed and what's more, she looked angrier than anyone ever seen before. She held up the few skeletal remains that had lingered after she'd destroyed Kate's Berserkers and dropped them on the floor, causing a clattering sound to echo throughout the room.

"Next time, get what you paid for, witch!" snarled Artemis. "All five of your little pets are _gone_. And guess what? You have an appointment date with the Calavero family."

Kate actually looked terrified as she took a nervous step back.

"Now, isn't this a fine turn of events? The hunter has become the hunted and she can't control the shift," said Peter, mockingly as they all encircled her like the dangerous predators they were. By now, all of them had shifted and were ready for a fight. "You really want to learn control, Kate? That won't be easy, since I highly doubt _you_ could ever love anyone, especially not as much as Derek loves Artemis. So, that leaves anger as your only hope. You want to get angry, Kate?"

Kate roared and the fight was about to get underway, but then it stopped just as a series of gas canisters dropped into the room. Suddenly, they went off and the room was filled with a gas powerful enough to knock them all out.

By the time everyone regained consciousness, Kate was long gone and the safe containing all of Peter's money, a hundred and seventeen million dollars in bearer bonds, was gone. Stolen. And nobody knew who'd done it.

XXX

A week passed following the theft at the Hale vault.

During those seven days, Peter turned his attention to the theft of his money and the culprit. He didn't think it was Kate for one second, which meant that not only had Derek been set up but also Kate, and as Peter had never spoke of his hidden funds, it meant they had a dangerous new enemy to deal with, something that didn't bode well. To top it all off, Derek had to learn to adjust to being a Beta again, something that was not easy after so long. Though it was made less difficult by his pack, who reassured him up and down that regardless of the color of Derek's eyes, he was still one of their Alphas and they would still look to him for leadership and guidance and they still considered him family. It was a blessing that Derek was quite grateful for.

On the evening of the seventh day, Derek and Artemis decided it was time to finally announce their news at long last. They arranged for a special dinner at Derek's loft with the entire pack as well as their friends and family. Halfway through the entrée, Derek stood up and Artemis followed suit.

"Everyone, we have an important announcement to make," he said, smiling as he took Artemis's hand. "Huntress and I are engaged."

At once, everyone squealed and cheered in delight at this wonderful news. Melissa cried as she hugged her daughter and Rafael even shook Derek's hand. Erica, Cora and Malia began arguing about who the maid of honor would be while the boys argued about the positon of Derek's best man. It was truly a ray of sunshine in a dark, stormy time.


	3. Muted

**Muted**

The sun hung high in the clear blue sky, marking a beautiful day in Beacon Hills, which was in complete contrast to Peter's mood, as he was quite agitated and growing more so by the minute. Which was thanks in no small part to Braeden, the mercenary, who sat across from the werewolf, looking quite smug.

At that moment, Peter and Derek were trying to haggle the price for Braden's services. Peter had written up a proposed check of a substantial sum but Braeden had rewritten the check to a higher amount that Peter immensely hated.

"We're paying you to find Kate. Not assassinate the President," argued Peter.

"You're hiring me to find Kate first before the Calaveras do," reminded Braeden. "Going up against them is what's going to cost you."

Peter glared darkly at Braeden and opened his mouth to argue further but closed it again when Derek held up a hand.

"Wait here." Without waiting for a reply, Derek rose up and went into the other room. When he returned, he returned with case containing a highly rare and expensive gun complete with the bullet loadings, which he passed to Braeden. "Counter offer. Half the check and this gun to find Kate, which I'm sure you'll find far more valuable. Do we have a deal?"

Braeden's eyes gleamed as she nodded. "We do indeed."

And without further ado, Braeden took the rewritten check and the gun before departing from the loft, promising to make contact in a few days.

In spite of having saved them quite a bit of money, Peter didn't like Derek's bargain one bit, which was evident by the way he slammed the door following Braeden's departure.

"Are you out of your mind? Do you have any _idea_ what the gun was _worth?_ And you just handed it over to that pirate!" yelled Peter.

"It doesn't matter. It was collecting dust. But that's not the point. We've been looking for Kate for more than a week and we've come up with _zilch._ We need help and we had no choice," said Derek, firmly. He turned his back to his uncle as he approached his desk to look over some notes and papers.

Peter slowly approached Derek like a wolf approaching its prey. "If we don't find out who told Kate about the vault, I'm never going to get those bonds back. What do you think I'm going to do then, huh? Get a job? My résumé is _slightly_ out of date!" Being in a coma-like state for six years and then dead had put quite the spanner in the works for Peter as far as being hirable went. "We got _robbed,_ Derek! _Robbed!_ "

Peter grabbed Derek's shoulder and forcibly spun him around, only to pull back when Derek wolfed out and grabbed Peter's hand. Ordinarily, Peter wouldn't have been troubled by this but Derek's eyes gave him cause for concern. Derek's wolf eyes had changed to icy blue thanks to Kate's actions but they'd apparently changed again because now they were gold like an ordinary Beta's.

"That's a new look for you," said Peter, concerned. "What happened to your eyes?"

Derek sighed as he shrugged. "I don't know. Whatever Kate did, it's getting worse."

"I see. This isn't just about getting stopping that homicidal wackjob is it? You want to reverse what she's done to you," said Peter, understandingly. "I take it Artemis doesn't know yet?"

Derek reluctantly shook his head. "No." The pack knew Derek had lost his Alpha status, but not even Artemis knew that Derek might be losing his lycanthropy entirely. He hadn't told anyone for two reasons. One, Derek wasn't entirely sure and didn't want to alarm anyone. And two, part of him worried how they might react. He'd always been a pillar of strength and protection, a father-like figure to the Betas. What use was Derek if he lost all that? And worse still, what if Artemis no longer loved him because he wasn't the wolf she fell in love with anymore? "No, I haven't told anyone. That's why I need Kate found and why I'm willing to pay any price it takes."

And privately, Derek knew the price he'd given Braeden wouldn't make much of dent in his bank account. Everyone knew the Hale family had money, but no one knew exactly how much as it had been a well-kept secret for years. And what's more as Talia Hale's eldest child, Derek was sitting on the motherlode. Derek even owned the building that held his loft.

Peter nodded understandingly and wisely said nothing more on the subject. The message was loud and clear.

XXX

Meanwhile, Artemis and Stiles were heading the lacrosse field for tryouts day to meet up with the other Betas on the team.

While the pack's positions on the team were secure given their skills and the Coach's refusal to lose his best players, the team was in desperate need of more players. Following the disasters of the Darach and the Nogitsune, a number of families had moved as far from Beacon Hills as they possibly could. And what's more, as the team's co-captains, Coach Finstock had ordered Artemis and Jackson to oversee the tryouts and pick out the best ones.

"Man, what're we even doing here anyway? We literally have a hundred and seventeen other problems to deal with," whined Stiles. He loved lacrosse but given how they had a crazed former hunter turned werejaguar with an army of Berserkers at her disposal and an unknown enemy who'd stolen Peter's money on the loose, regular life was quite low on Stiles' list of priorities. "And worrying about our status on the lacrosse team is not one of them!"

"Believe me, I agree." There were plenty of other things Artemis wanted to do rather than practice lacrosse such as trying to track down Kate, work on her wedding plans or even earn extra cash to help Melissa pay the bills. But duty called and besides, maybe a little normalcy would be a good thing for their mental states. "But we don't have a choice. Besides, it could be worse. I mean, would you rather have Peter's money problems right now or deal with lacrosse problems?"

"The latter," admitted Stiles. "Tell Derek thanks again for the early birthday gift, by the way."

The events of the Nogitsune, namely the bills for the MRI and Stiles' brief stay at Eichen House had cost more than the Stilinskis had been able to pay, even with their insurance. Feeling that the Stilinskis had been through enough and wanting to repay all they did to help with supernatural issues, Derek had paid the medical bills in full via anonymous donation, to which they were immensely grateful for to no end.

"Not a problem," said Artemis. She sighed as she pinched the space between her eyes. "I'm just glad some of our problems are being handled."

The Stilinskis weren't the only ones who'd been facing some financial difficulties. Because of all the damages the Darach and the Nogitsune had caused to the hospital where Melissa worked, the medical facility had been forced to make cutbacks to pay the bills as the insurance wouldn't cover it—namely, the nursing practice. Even with the funds Artemis earned with her online jewelry business and her job at the vet, they were barely making ends' meet. Though, thankfully that would change soon now that Rafael had insisted on helping out and Artemis would be marrying into the Hale family. Artemis wasn't marrying Derek for his money but nevertheless, she was thankful for it.

Stiles gave her a sympathetic look. "We never get a break, do we?"

"Nope," said Artemis, sighing again. _Man, why couldn't Kate have stayed dead?_ Was it too much to ask that no more supernatural problems arise for a while so that Artemis could marry the man she loved in peace? Apparently.

Artemis was snapped out her thoughts when Jackson came running up, looking concerned and agitated.

"We may have a problem. This new kid, Dunbar, is trying out for goalie and he's blocking every single shot made, even the ones Boyd's throwing at him."

"Dunbar?" repeated Artemis, as her face lit up with happy surprise. " _Liam_ Dunbar?"

"Yeah. You know him?" asked Jackson.

Artemis nodded. "Liam's my little cousin on my mom's side."

"Cousin? More like your son the way you two acted," said Stiles, teasingly.

Artemis turned a faint shade of red. "Shut up."

But she knew Stiles was right. With the way Artemis and Liam acted before Liam moved away, one would've thought they were mother and son by the way they acted. Liam's birth mother had died when Liam was a baby and Liam's dad often left Liam at Artemis's house on days he worked. When that happened, Artemis had surprised everyone by taking charge of Liam's care, despite her young age at the time. She'd helped feed Liam, wash him and rock him to sleep. She also played with Liam frequently while other kids her age played with their own friends, calmed him when he was frightened and was always there when Liam needed her for emotional support. Liam's first word had even been Artemis's name. Even Liam's father remarried and Liam gained a loving stepmother, Liam often looked to Artemis as a mother-figure in his life.

But all that ended when Liam's father had gotten a different job out of state and later remarried. True, they'd been able to keep in touch through phone calls, e-mails and they'd even visited one another on occasion, but it wasn't quite the same.

Artemis whistled low as she then watched Liam perform amazing goalie feats. The kid was highly impressive just like Jackson had said. She could easily see him in a good position on the team. She then blew on the whistle she'd been given from the Coach, signaling everyone to stop.

"All right, everyone, that's enough for now. Take five and hydrate," she ordered, before turning her attention to the goalie.

The goalie took off his helmet, revealing the smiling face of Artemis's young cousin, Liam.

"So, how'd I do, Coach?" said Liam, jokingly.

"You little jerk! Why didn't you tell me you were moving back to Beacon Hills?" laughed Artemis, as they hugged.

"I wanted to surprise you," said Liam, grinning as they broke apart. "Besides, consider it payback for not telling me yourself over Skype that you're engaged. I had to find out from your mom's Facebook page of all things. _And_ you promised I was in charge of the shovel talk when you found your Prince Charming but I haven't even met him yet." He added, pouting.

Artemis chuckled as she unconsciously fingered the moonstone and diamond ring that sat on her left ring finger. She'd meant to call Liam and tell him but with everything that'd been happening, it'd slipped her mind.

"Okay, okay, you're right. I admit it, I was remiss in my duties. But I promise I'll make it up to you. Barring an emergency, why we have a family dinner this weekend so you can meet Derek?" It was bit last minute but Artemis knew Derek wouldn't mind. Whether human or werewolf, family was pack and Liam had the right to meet his cousin's soon-to-be husband.

Liam smiled and nodded before swinging his lacrosse stick and looking nervous. "So, honestly, how am I doing? Think I got a shot on the team?" he asked, hopefully.

Artemis wrapped an arm around Liam's shoulders. "Keep it up, Liam, and you'll be our star goalie." She was quite serious and meant every word. Regardless of Liam being her cousin, Artemis was going to make sure Liam had a spot on the team as he was definitely skilled enough.

Liam's face lit up at this.

Later that day, before the second round of tryouts, Artemis overheard some of her packmates giving Liam a talking-to. They were impressed at his skills but despite Coach's promises of their positions, some of them felt threatened by Liam's presence.

"So, Liam, what was that today?" asked Stiles.

"What do you mean?" asked Liam, confused.

"You know what he means. That display. That circus of yours," said Jackson.

"What circus?"

"You caught _every_ shot," explained Boyd. "Not a single shot got past you."

"I was in _goal,_ " said Liam, in the tone of explaining something obvious.

"Yeah, but you caught _every single shot_ ," said Ethan, trying to emphasize how difficult if not outright impossible that should be to do, unless, of course, someone was a supernatural.

"Yeah, because I was the _goalie._ It was my job. Do you guys not know how this game's played?" said Liam, starting to sound irritated.

"You weren't here last semester. Where'd you come from?" asked Boyd.

"I transferred from Devenford Prep."

Artemis winced as she heard the tell-tale sound of Liam's heartrate spiking. The kid was lying through his teeth. He hadn't transferred. He'd probably gotten kicked out. Why, Artemis had no idea, but she didn't care. She'd find out when Liam was ready to tell her. Unfortunately, her pack mates were a different story.

"No, you got kicked out, didn't you?" said Jackson, sounding smug.

"Kicked out, transferred. Who cares? I came here to make friends, being with my cousin and play lacrosse! Don't you guys need some good players?" said Liam, furiously.

"That depends. How'd you get so good? Was it overnight like—"

 _All right. Enough is enough_. Artemis decided. This had to stop before things better left unsaid went spoken or punches got thrown.

"Okay, enough hazing of my cousin!" interjected Artemis, loudly, making them jump a foot as she came in between them. She gave her pack mates a stern look that made them all take a step back. "Liam's good because his dad, my uncle, taught him. My uncle made captain young like I did as we used to play together before Liam moved. Good enough?"

She didn't wait for a reply before turning to Liam and giving him an apologetic look. "Sorry about this Liam. Jackson's territorial and lacrosse tryout tend to raise everyone's stress levels, so they get a little carried away sometimes."

Fortunately, Liam seemed very nonchalant about it and relaxed upon hearing. "It's cool. I get it. But honestly, you guys can relax. I'm not trying to upset the status quo. I just want to play lacrosse and make friends. Okay?"

Artemis's pack mates reluctantly accepted this and then after a round of apologies, Liam headed back out to the lacrosse field.

As soon as Liam was out of earshot Artemis hissed at them, "Would you leave him alone and relax? Liam's not a threat to anyone. He's just a human teenager out for fun and friends."

"You sure? Anyone can hide their scent if they know what they're doing," said Isaac, suspiciously.

Artemis gave Boyd an exasperated look. While it was true, scent disguises didn't work on Artemis's senses for one very clear reason, which Isaac had clearly forgotten.

" _Not_ from the True Alpha," she said, firmly. "Now, will you all calm down? Liam's not going to uproot anyone's position on the team. And besides, we need all the players we can get, in case you don't remember."

Everyone winced as they nodded. If they didn't get more players and fast, Beacon Hills couldn't play in any games. And the thought of having no lacrosse to distract them while they deal with the supernatural chaos in their lives seemed like fate worse than death. So, without further argument, they grabbed their gear and went back out. They had work to do.

XXX

At Beacon Hills Hospital, Melissa was examining a dead woman's body at the hospital with Rafael and Sheriff Stilinski.

A young teenage boy, Sean, had come in and collapsed on the hospital floor, covered in blood and weary from exposure and exhaustion. According to the police report, Sean's entire family had been slaughtered in the night and Sean was the only survivor. The three adults were trying to determine if it was a supernatural case or a normal human one. They all hoped it was the latter.

"I can't blame this kid for not talking to the psychologist yet," said Melissa, grimacing as she looked over the dead woman's wounds.

"Kid's going to be in shock for quite a while," said Rafael, understandingly. He knew better than anyone there how it felt to lose one's entire family overnight and he wouldn't put the pain on anyone. "This was his whole family?"

Sheriff Stilinski nodded. "Mother, father, older brother. Sean was the youngest and the only one who got away. Question is, from what?"

"From _who_ ," corrected Melissa. "These wounds weren't made by claws or fangs. These are deep cuts caused by a combination of sharp and blunt force trauma."

"Yeah, that's what the ME said. Some kind of axe was the murder weapon," said Sheriff Stilinski. "Maybe a military tomahawk."

"So, maybe we don't need to call them in," said Rafael, referring to Artemis and the others. "If this is ordinary homicide, maybe we can give them a day off from murder and massacre."

Melissa and Sheriff Stilinski nodded in agreement and their shoulders seemed to sag in relief. As proud as the parents were of Artemis and Stiles' accomplishments and the lives they'd saved since the supernatural world became known to them, sometimes the parents wished such a heavy burden wasn't on their offspring's shoulders.

Stiles was trying to recover from the trauma the Nogitsune's possession had caused him. Though Stiles knew what happened wasn't his fault, Stiles often felt guilty over what the Nogitsune had done while it'd possessed Stiles and he suffered nightmares on the few, rare nights that Malia wasn't sleeping with him. Sometimes, Sheriff Stilinski would even hear Stiles calling up Artemis in the middle of the night just to make sure she was okay. On top of it all, Stiles was also facing pressure from his regular life to do well in school so he could join law enforcement like he planned.

Artemis wasn't any better. Though she did her best to hide it, Artemis's parents knew she was feeling stressed and overwhelmed with the latest supernatural chaos in her life thanks to Kate and whoever their new foe was as well as worried about Derek. And as the only Alpha, Artemis was also doing her best to care for her Betas and on top of it all, Artemis was dealing with the difficulties of normal life involving school and work. How she hadn't cracked yet wasn't anyone's guess.

"When do we get a day off?" asked Melissa, half-serious, half-joking.

"When we stop being parents, which is never," said Rafael, truthfully. "Honestly, I think we should only call them in if it's a hundred percent necessary. Artemis deserves that much."

Although he didn't speak much of it, Rafael was also struggling. Although Artemis was alive and well, Rafael couldn't get the memory of her sacrificing her life for his and dying in Derek's arms out of his head. He knew Artemis was an even more powerful Alpha now, but it didn't change what had happened. So if Rafael could keep Artemis safe and enjoy normalcy for a little while, Rafael would do all he could to ensure it would happen.

Rafael owed her that much.

XXX

Back at the school, tryouts were going extremely well, much to Coach Finstock's joy.

The leading try out stars were Liam, who was dominating not just in his goalkeeping skills but also his speed and he made some of the best shots. Many of the lacrosse team members were thrilled to have Liam on board, calling him the 'next Artemis Moon,' much to Jackson's fury. And then there was Kira, who hadn't even intended to try out at all. She'd come to watch and support her friends while fiddling with a spare lacrosse stick. While doing so, Kira had instinctively caught a misfired shot with ease, catching the Coach's attention. Upon which, she'd been asked to try out and despite a little nervousness on Kira's part, she aced the try out and was offered a spot, which she accepted.

Tryouts came to a screeching halt, unfortunately. Due to the influence of the approaching full moon and Jackson's anger and insecurities, Liam's luck took a downward dive. Moments ago, he'd gotten past both Jackson and Boyd with a bob and twist move Jackson didn't like one bit. When Liam was asked to do it again by the Coach, Jackson succumbed.

Artemis watched in horror, realizing too late that Jackson was using his wolf skills as the co-captain charged at Liam and flipped him over. Moments later, a sickening sound hit everyone's ears and Liam was on the ground in obvious pain.

Furious, Artemis blew hard on her whistle and stormed the field. She smacked the back of Jackson's head. "What the heck was _that?_ " she growled, as her eyes briefly flashed bright red.

Realizing what he'd just done, Jackson had the decency to look ashamed and stepped back.

Artemis knelt down beside Liam, who was struggling to get up, despite the clear pain he was in. "Liam, no. Don't move," she said, firmly. "Just try to relax. You're going to be okay."

"My leg…it hurts," moaned Liam, as tears glistened in his eyes.

"Shh," soothed Artemis. She thanked whoever was listening that she'd decided to wear long sleeves that day. They hid the black veins that trailed up Artemis's arms as she took away some of Liam's pain. Had there not been so many witnesses, she would've healed Liam's injury completely thanks to her new evolved powers but that wasn't the case. "Boyd, take Liam to the nurse. I'll call my uncle. Jackson, with me. The rest of you, keep at it. We'll be back in five."

Boyd nodded and carefully carried Liam to the nurse's office while the team resumed working. Artemis dragged Jackson by the arm to the locker room and as soon as they were alone, she pinned him to the wall by the scruff of shirt and wolfed out on him. She was furious as Jackson had not only risked exposure by the little stunt he'd pulled, Jackson had also allowed his emotions to get the better of him and seriously injured Artemis's cousin. And for what? A stupid lacrosse game.

"What were you _THINKING?!_ " yelled Artemis. "You know better than to use your powers on the lacrosse field like that! Do you have any idea what you could've done? You not only risked exposing us all, you also seriously injured my cousin and you could've killed him!"

Jackson made a placating gesture with his hands and looked apologetic. "I know, I know. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to. I just…I panicked and the full moon feels stronger this time. I'm so, _so_ sorry Artemis. I'll make this right, I swear."

Artemis's wolf features faded and she relaxed, freeing Jackson. She felt a twinge, a tiny one but still a twinge nevertheless, of sympathy. With all the stress everyone was under, it was no wonder the approaching full moon was beginning to influence them. It didn't excuse Jackson's actions or get him off the hook by a long shot, but Artemis was willing to ease up a little in consideration.

"Darn right you will. Liam's probably going to have to go to the hospital. So, here's the deal. You and everyone else is going to cut Liam some slack and lay off him. True Alpha's orders. _And_ since _you_ hurt my cousin, _you_ are going to pay for his medical bills. Heaven knows that you can afford it, Jackson," growled Artemis.

Her tone gave no room for argument and as Jackson had no wish to further anger his Alpha, he agreed without hesitation. Besides, Artemis was right. Jackson's family was loaded. The cost of a hospital visit was like giving out pocket change to them and it _was_ Jackson's fault the kid was so badly hurt. Paying Liam's bills and being nicer was the least Jackson could do.

XXX

Unbeknownst to the pack, the situation in Beacon Hills had begun to worsen.

Deputy Jordan Parrish was out investigating the house belonging to Sean when he'd come across Lydia, who'd been drawn to the place due to her banshee nature. As Parrish tended to be more open minded and lenient towards teenagers than his colleagues, he didn't order her to leave or charge Lydia with contaminating a crime scene.

"I'd like to give you a satisfactory explanation as for why I'm here but unfortunately, I never get one myself," said Lydia, when Parrish asked why she was there. It was frustrating but despite Lydia's efforts, she didn't have the same level of control over her supernatural nature like Malia, Kira or the werewolves. Where death went, Lydia followed whether she wanted to or not and she could rarely explain why.

"Just an unusual habit of showing up where people have been brutally murdered?" said Parrish.

Lydia raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying I have a reputation?"

It wouldn't be surprising, given Lydia's record but privately she hoped she didn't have a rep for being a suspicious nutcase or anything of the like.

"An unusual one," said Parrish, kindly. "Maybe you're psychic?"

Lydia scoffed. Psychic? She wished. It would be preferable to being a banshee or so she imagined. "I wish. But don't tell me you believe in that, deputy."

Parrish shrugged and looked thoughtful. "Maybe. I don't know. I like to believe in a lot of things. And given Beacon Hills' reputation, I'm more open minded to the possibility of what's supposedly fake might be real. But I digress. If you're looking for dead bodies, I think you're a bit late."

"We'll see," murmured Lydia.

Lydia didn't wait for a reply as she then began to follow the sounds of the whispers and screams that called to her until she came to a seemingly ordinary cherry wood panel. Without knowing why, Lydia pressed her hand against it, causing the panel to hiss and open and a gush of cold air to hit them. She gave Parrish an alarmed look, causing him to draw his weapon and beckon for Lydia to pull the panel open. When she did so, a hidden tunnel that was dark as pitch and cold as a freezer was revealed.

Slowly and cautiously, Lydia and Parrish walked down the freezing tunnel until they came across a large room and a light switch. When the lights were switched on, they found themselves surrounded by more than a dozen large plastic bags hanging from the ceiling that smelled.

"What is this?" whispered Lydia, feeling scared.

"Looks like a game locker. Like venison," said Parrish. He sounded as though he was trying to convince himself more than Lydia. Like Lydia, Parrish couldn't shake the terrible feeling that despite appearances, something was seriously wrong with this picture. "Hunting's legal in some parts of the state but…" Parrish's voice trailed off as he realized the bags were the wrong size for any known game.

"What is it?" asked Lydia.

Parrish was quiet for a moment as he slipped on a pair of latex gloves. "Lydia, look away."

Lydia ignored him and soon screamed in horror when Parrish unzipped one of the bags to reveal not a deer or any known game but rather, a fresh human corpse.

"What the heck are these people?" said Parrish, horrified.

"Wendigo," whispered Lydia, too softly for Parrish to hear. Recently, she'd been rereading the Argents' bestiary. A Wendigo was an evil beast from legend that was said to eat neither game nor grain but rather their appetites craved one thing and one thing only: human flesh. And if Sean was a wendigo, that meant everyone at the hospital, including Artemis's mother, was in serious danger.

While Parrish called for backup from the police station, Lydia called the Argents and the pack. Sean had to be dealt with and quickly before it was too late.

XXX

Meanwhile, Stiles was helping Malia study for an upcoming algebra test.

For the most part, Malia was adjusting to a semi-normal life in Beacon Hills but she was still struggling in some aspects such as school. Math and science made very little sense, if any to her, judging by her test scores and her frequent question mark doodles on her practice papers.

Malia was only halfway through her math book when she suddenly slammed it shut.

"Hey, we're not done yet," said Stiles.

"Yes, we are, because I give up," said Malia. She grabbed Stiles' book out of his hands, rolled him onto his back and began kissing him intensely.

The make-out session continued for quite a while until Stiles reluctantly ended it. "Hey, hey, I promised I'd help you study, remember? Just another half hour then we can get back to this until dinner. I promise. _And_ I'll even order your favorite, venison from that big game restaurant in town."

Unable to resist the offer of venison which had become her favorite meal during her coyote years, Malia groaned but smiled as she rolled off Stiles and reopened her book to a page highlighted in green, yellow and red.

"What's with all the highlighters, anyway?" asked Stiles.

Malia held up each marker. "Green means I understand it. Yellow means I'm working on it. Red means I have no clue. I use a _lot_ of red."

Stiles chuckled and gave Malia's cheek a gentle kiss when he noticed that not only was a lot of red but also that her filing system was the same as his own for his evidence wall.

"So, what's the secret? Why're math and science so hard for me and so easy for everyone else?" asked Malia, sounding a little frustrated.

"If it's any consolation, science isn't easy for Artemis. She mostly gets C's in that class because it's pure gibberish to her. But when Lydia loans out notes, it makes enough sense for her to get a B," said Stiles, sympathetically.

Malia sighed as she took a flowery notebook out of her backpack and handed it to her boyfriend. "Then somebody needs to make notes for Lydia's notes because I can't understand _any_ of this."

Stiles frowned in confusion. How could Lydia's notes not make sense? Since becoming friends with the pack, Lydia usually made her note easy for them all to understand so they could better understand math and get good grades. But upon seeing the notes Lydia had scribbled out for Malia, Stiles' frown deepened and turned from one of confusion to one of concern.

" _Lydia_ wrote these?" said Stiles.

Malia nodded. "Yeah. What do they mean?"

"Something bad because this isn't math," said Stiles, gravely. The pages were filled to the brim with a series of numbers and letters complied together in a form of gibberish. Lydia would never write like that unless she wasn't herself when she wrote the notes, which meant only one thing: Lydia's banshee powers were at work and something serious was going on.

Malia stiffened when she realized what Stiles meant and groaned. "Oh, crap."

Death and mayhem had come to Beacon Hills _again._ Couldn't they _ever_ get a break?

XXX

Meanwhile, Artemis was at the hospital.

Without an x-ray and given the state of bruising on Liam's leg, the school nurse couldn't be certain if the injury was just a sprain or a breakage, so Liam had been sent to the hospital where he was being looked over by his father and Artemis's uncle, Doctor Geyer. Following a knock on the hospital room door and a confirmation to enter, Artemis went inside.

"Hey, you up for a visitor? I brought contraband. Cherry cheesecake, your favorite," said Artemis. She held up a small brown paper bag containing napkins, a plastic spoon and a pint of Liam's favorite flavor of frozen custard from Culvers.

Liam smiled as he took the offered desert. "You remembered. Thanks."

"How could I forget? So, how're you doing?" asked Artemis, concerned as she sat on the foot of Liam's hospital bed.

"We're waiting on the x-ray to find out. Liam will be checked out in an hour," said Geyer. "By the way, either of you want to tell me what happened?"

Guiltily, Liam looked away and didn't answer.

"One of the players panicked and played a little too rough. I spoke with him and he's going to make amends. Whatever the cost is here, he'll cover it," explained Artemis. "And before you argue, it's a done deal and trust me, the guy can afford it."

"It's my own fault for going up again the co-captain and a guy the size of a tank," said Liam, sadly as he ate a spoonful of the frozen treat.

Geyer gave his son a sympathetic look and squeezed his shoulder. "Remember what we always say, son. Play smart, not hard."

"You mad at me?" asked Liam, timidly.

Geyer shook his head. "No, of course not. But your stepmom might be with me for letting you play lacrosse in the first place but maybe we should wait for the x-ray before we panic. And believe me, I have more cause to panic than you."

Both Liam and Artemis chuckled at this. Liam's stepmother, while a kind and loving woman could be downright scary if she wanted to be. She was fiercely protective of her stepson to the point where she could easily scare off a mother bear if it came down to it.

Artemis's phone then went off with Lydia's ring tone. "Excuse me, I got to take this. I'll be right back." Artemis went out into the hall and hit the 'accept' button on her phone. "Hi, Lydia, what's up?"

" _Where are you?_ " demanded Lydia, sounding tearful and panicked. " _You need to get to the hospital._ "

Artemis's senses immediately went on alert. "I'm already at the hospital visiting my cousin. What's going on? What's happened?"

" _The triple homicide we heard about on the news today. The son, Sean Walcott? He's a wendigo_ ," said Lydia.

Artemis's heart skipped a beat. A wendigo? In Beacon Hills? Artemis could've sworn the bestiary said wendigos preferred an entirely different habitat. But then again, if the wendigo had felt drawn to Beacon Hills because of the Darach, it would explain a few things. "What? Are you sure?"

" _Yes, I'm sure! The deputy and I found over a dozen human body bags in their freezer!_ " snapped Lydia. " _Look, the point is, he's there and he's going to be hungry by now. Everyone's in danger. I called the Argents, but they won't be there for another fifteen minutes. You need to find him. Now!_ "

"I'm on it."

Without waiting for a reply, Artemis shut off her cell phone and ran through the hospital in search of Sean Walcott. A wendigo was too dangerous to have in the hospital. He had to be stopped before he hurt someone or worse.

Thankfully, Artemis didn't have to search long before she heard the sounds of Melissa's terrified screams. She quickly followed the sounds of the screams to Sean's room upstairs where she found Sean, now sporting rows of teeth like a shark and forcibly pulling Melissa into his room for a snack. Artemis then shifted into her wolf beast form and let out a powerful roar that shook the hall before she charged at Sean. Artemis sank her sharp fangs into Sean's shoulder, causing the wendigo to cry out in terrible pain and forcing him to release Melissa. Once Melissa was freed, Artemis grabbed Sean by the throat and slammed him hard into the wall, seemingly knocking him out.

Still in her beast form, Artemis turned to her mother, who seemed shaken but otherwise unharmed. "You okay?"

Shaking, Melissa nodded and then her eyes widened in alarm. "Arty, he's gone."

Artemis spun around to see that Sean had somehow slipped away in the brief moments their backs had been turned.

 _Dang it._ Clearly, Sean was stronger than Artemis had anticipated. "Go downstairs, wait the Argents. I'll catch this psycho," ordered Artemis.

Melissa nodded and proceeded to head down to the lobby while Artemis chased after Sean. It didn't take long for Artemis to track Sean's scent to the roof, where she found him holding Liam. Artemis's cousin was a bloody mess of painful injuries no doubt caused by Sean and the struggle Liam had put up when Sean had abducted him. What's worse, Sean's claws were threatening to slice Liam's throat.

"Let him _GO!_ " roared Artemis.

Upon hearing her voice, Liam's eyes widened in confusion and alarm. "Artemis? Is that you?" He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was his cousin's voice but Liam didn't recognize the wolf beast before him.

Artemis ignored Liam and kept her red gaze on Sean, who stubbornly shook his head.

"I don't think so, _True Alpha!_ I'm the one in charge here. Retract your claws if you want him to live!" demanded Sean. "NOW!"

Artemis didn't want to but Sean was right. He was the one in command as long as Liam's life was at stake. For Liam's sake, she had to obey. Reluctantly, she shifted back into her human form and held up her arms in a surrender gesture.

"There. I've done what you want. Now, let my cousin go. Liam doesn't know anything about our world. He's innocent, so set him free."

"He's your blood which makes him part of this," snapped Sean.

Artemis pleadingly shook her head. "Look, Sean, just calm down. You know what I am, so you must know _who_ I am. We'll find a way to help you. _I'll_ find a way to help you. Just let Liam go, please. He needs help," she begged.

Sean stubbornly shook his head. "Wendigos don't need _help,_ especially from werewolves. We need FOOD!" He then tossed Liam off the edge of the rooftop.

"NO!" yelled Artemis. Time seemed to slow as her mind flashed back to the horrific night of Kali's death. The fear, the helplessness, the grief…she couldn't let that happen again. Without thinking, Artemis leapt off the roof and grabbed Liam, holding him tightly as they fell together.

Moments later, there was a sickening crunch and blood pooled around the two cousins. Luckily, they'd fallen into an area completely devoid of life, which was fortunate for them as it meant no unwanted questions being asked. Unfortunately, the situation was far from good.

Artemis inhaled sharply as her enhanced healing kicked in and her wounds healed. Her face fell when she saw that despite her efforts, Liam had still suffered a number of horrendous life-threatening injuries. Injuries even a True Alpha couldn't take away unless she performed a certain act.

"Liam? Liam, can you hear me?" she asked, frantically as she gently placed Liam onto his side.

Blood pooled in Liam's mouth and his eyes were full of tears and pain as he weakly clutched Artemis's hand. "Help…me…." he gurgled. "Don't…let…die…"

Tears slid down Artemis's cheeks. She clutched Liam's hand as she took away his pain so he might be able to understand what had to happen if Liam wanted to live. She could save him, yes. But at the same time, Artemis refused to do to Liam what Peter had done to her all that time ago.

"Liam, Liam listen to me. You saw me on the roof. You saw what I am. The only way I can save you is if I make you like me. But if I do, it can't be reversed. You'll never be human again. Do you understand me, Liam? Do I have your consent?" she asked.

 _Please, please say you understand._

Despite the pain he was in, Liam nodded weakly. "Save me…" he whispered, his strength, nearly gone. "Please…"

With Liam's consent given, Artemis wolfed out. "Forgive me," she whispered. And with that, Artemis sank her teeth into Liam's forearm, giving him the Bite that would forever change his life but also save him.

As Artemis was the True Alpha, the Bite's effect was instantaneous rather than slow over the course of a day. Liam inhaled sharply and his eyes shot open as the power of Artemis's Bite caused his cuts healed and his bones reknitted themselves, healing him completely of his injuries.

"Oh gosh…" whimpered Liam, as the situation fully settled on him. In the blink of an eye, he'd been abducted and almost died, become witness to supernatural monsters and had just been turned into a lycanthrope. "Oh, gosh. What's happened to me? Artemis…"

Without hesitation, Artemis held Liam close and stoked his back as the young boy shook and cried into her shirt while clutching her for dear life. She kept his head down, refusing to let him see what she saw. Peering at her from up on the roof was a pale man with no mouth, wielding a tomahawk and carrying Sean's body.

"I'm sorry, Liam," she murmured, as she rubbed Liam's back to calm him. "I'm so sorry. It's going to be okay, just hold on to me. Shh…"

But even as Artemis spoke the soothing words, she doubted the truth in them. A psychotic killer was on the loose and Artemis had just been forced to turn her cousin into a werewolf. How was anything ever going to be okay again?


End file.
